A Year Long Love Letter
by harryginny1
Summary: The war is over, Harry begins his Auror training, and Ginny returns to Hogwarts for her 7th year. They begin to explore the physical and emotional aspects of their relationship...
1. September

**SEPTEMBER**

The couple stood by the train with their arms wrapped around each other, kissing passionately, oblivious to the streams of people hurrying past them. He stood, only a couple of inches taller than she, with his right hand buried deep in her hair and his left on the small of her back. She tilted her head up slightly to meet his, her lips never leaving his mouth. They stood like this until the last possible second, and then she sprinted for the train that was just departing. Her long red hair was flying behind her, and she could hear him laughing as she ran at full speed.

From the train, she heard cheers and cat-whistles as she flew up the tracks to the open compartment door. Hermione was screaming for her to hurry up, with an anxious look on her face. Ginny was laughing as she finally caught up to the open door, grabbed Hermione's hand and jumped in. She slammed the door and in the same fluid movement, had the window open and was waving frantically to Harry as he watched her hair blowing in the wind, a huge grin on his face, as the Hogwart's Express finally turned the corner.

Ginny laughed out loud, her eyes shining as she finally sat back and faced her friends, her cheeks bright red. Hermione admonished her,

"Gin, what were you thinking? You could have missed the train!"

"Yes, but I could have also missed kissing Harry for three more minutes, and that would have been much more regrettable!" she answered, smiling broadly. "Don't you think so, Luna?"

"Oh, yes. Personally, I've never kissed Harry Potter, but I would think that it would be a most enjoyable experience."

Ginny laughed wildly. "See, Hermione? You have to live a little. Even though I don't know how much living you'll do with that nitwit brother of mine."

The girls grinned. Their compartment became the place to gather for the next hour. Everyone had heard about Harry and Ginny's engagement, and they all wanted to stop by to see her ring and congratulate her. A steady stream of friends came through, and the girls were so excited to see everyone again.

The train seemed like it was bursting at the seams. So many students who should have graduated last year were returning to Hogwarts this year to finish properly, Hermione included. Three that were sorely missed on the train this year were Harry, Ron and Neville. Neville had decided that he was more interested in beginning his career and had abandoned his final year. Ginny and Luna missed him especially; they had become very close last year while the trio was on their horcrux hunt. Neville was one of her best friends, and Ginny was so glad that he and Luna seemed to be growing closer. They were a perfect pair.

After the frenzy of friends had died down, the three girls were left alone once again. Ginny sat down across from Luna and Hermione and said,

"So guess what Harry decided that we should do this year."

"What?" Hermione and Luna said together, smiling.

"He's being very romantic and decided that since we can't be together this year, that we should write each other letters. Get to know each other better, make our plans, etc. Isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever heard?"

"Gin, he could say that he wanted to take you bowling and you would think that's romantic," said Hermione, grimacing inwardly.

"No, that would be Ron, Hermione," replied Ginny with a smile. "I'm going to start letter #1 right now. Excuse me for a while, ladies!" She reached into her bag for parchment and her quill and began her letter. Hermione and Luna continued their conversation quietly, occasionally being interrupted when someone came in to visit. Ginny, too, would stop her letter and talk to whoever came in, but mostly she focused on finishing Harry's letter. Half an hour later, she rolled and tied her bit of parchment.

Ginny reached up into the overhead compartment, took her owl from the cage and tied her letter to its leg. She gave Helena a few treats for the flight, and let her go from their compartment window. She smiled to herself as she put her things away.

It was nearing twilight as the Hogwart's Express came to a stop in the village of Hogsmeade. Ginny, Hermione and Luna changed into their robes and joined the mass of students gathering on the platform. They made their way slowly to the carriages pulled by the thestrals, and were saddened that so many of the students seemed to be able to see the unusual-looking animals this year. Nearly all of them had seen more than one person die within the past year. The students seemed to be quite stunned that the carriages weren't pulling themselves to the castle as usual. Neither Hermione nor Ginny had the heart to tell them why they could suddenly see the strange creatures this year.

For many, this was the first time that they had been back on Hogwart's grounds since the battle in May. The sound of silence that filled the air as the thestrals passed through the gates was deafening. They were all thinking about the battle, about the lives that were lost and how they all had eventually been saved. Hermione took Ginny's hand and squeezed. Ginny put her head down momentarily and wiped at her eyes. She glanced over at the white tomb where Dumbledore lay, and took a moment to silently thank him. He had given Harry the tools he needed to succeed last year, and Ginny couldn't help but be grateful to Dumbledore. Although he may not have gone about things the right way, he had loved Harry in his own way, and Ginny couldn't fault him for that. Harry was easy to love.

Ginny and Hermione stuffed themselves at the beginning of term feast, and the speech by Headmistress McGonagall was full of praise for Harry and for all of the people who fought in the battle. She glanced at Ginny and Hermione and gave them a small smile before moving on to other subjects. The students began dispersing after the speech ended and Hermione and Ginny found their way up to the dormitories to settle in for their last year.

--------------------------

It was just getting dark outside as Harry was lying in his bed in Grimmauld Place reviewing for his NEWTs next month. It was then that he heard Helena tapping at his window. He smiled as he threw the book aside, leapt from the bed and opened the window, letting the little grey owl swoop in. Harry gently untied the letter and gave the little owl a treat and put her in the cage next to his new tawny owl, Hiro. His heart gave a small lurch as it always did when he looked at the owl; looking at Hiro always made him think of Hedwig. But, he was resigned to the fact that he needed another owl this year if he and Ginny were to keep in touch at all. So, when he bought Hiro last month in Diagon Alley, he had also purchased Helena for Ginny to take with her to school.

Harry crossed the room and climbed into bed, ready to enjoy his letter from Ginny.

_**1 September**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**What a fantastic idea this was – our year apart being spent getting to know each other better and making our plans in letters. When did you get so romantic?! Hermione will insist on making fun of us, but that's because she's just jealous- in a million years Ron would never think of something like this. I feel bad for her sometimes, she wants romance desperately, but as long as she's with Ron, I'm afraid she will be out of luck.**_

_**I, on the other hand, am the luckiest person alive.**_

_**Thank you, again, for Helena my little grey owl. She's so pretty! I hope that she's fast as well; I want to receive my letters from you as swiftly as possible.**_

_**I am only an hour from home, on the Hogwarts Express speeding towards my final year. I miss you already. I'm still trying to take it in that we're engaged and we're getting married next summer! I am so overwhelmed and happy and every good thing. I don't think that anything could bring me down right now – except the prospect of not seeing you everyday. I'm glad that you have your Auror training to keep you busy, and I'm sure that Ron will take up a lot of your time. But, make sure you save some to write to me, too, OK?**_

_**Hermione and Luna are here with me, and they send you their love. Hermione's not the only seventh year who is returning for their final year. This train is much more crowded than normal, but it's such a different feeling here this year. Where last year we were all apprehensive and, basically scared out of our minds, now there is such peace and, joy, really. Everyone is smiling and happy, but me most of all, I think. I can't seem to wipe the smile from my face! Everyone loves my ring, you did a great job picking it out – I love it, and I wouldn't have picked out anything different!**_

_**Good luck on your first day tomorrow, I'll be thinking of you. I'll end for now, my love. I am neglecting my friends! I love you!**_

_**Always,**_

_**Ginny**_

Harry leaned back and grinned, rolling the letter carefully and letting these feelings of love wash over him. He took a minute to remember how beautiful Ginny looked as she ran to catch the train this morning, her red hair flying behind her like flames. He couldn't help but laugh as she ran; she was so full of life and energy and she made him feel so amazingly happy and just_ good_. He smiled at the memory.

How sad and empty his life was before Ginny.

He decided to wait to write to her until tomorrow night, when he could share the events of his first day of Auror training. Ron was going to meet him here at 8:45AM, and they were going to floo to the Ministry together.

Finally, Harry rolled over, placed his glasses on the nightstand and fell into a restless sleep. He alternated between dreaming about Ginny and worrying about tomorrow's training.

The next day dawned bright and early for Harry. He had been awake since 5AM, anxious for the day to begin. Kreacher made him a light breakfast, and he read Ginny's letter again as he waited for Ron to floo in from the Burrow.

Ron appeared at 8:55AM, making Harry panic a bit about being late. Ron grabbed a couple of pieces of toast leftover from Harry's breakfast and was munching happily while he pinched a bit of floo powder in his other hand. How he managed to yell "Ministry of Magic" and actually make it to the atrium there and not in another grate fifty miles away was beyond Harry.

Training began promptly at 9AM (Harry and Ron running in with ten seconds to spare) with a brief meeting with the new Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. After that, the ten Aurors-in-Training, split up into two groups of five, and began learning advanced defensive spells. Harry liked that they began with practical lessons straight away. He didn't much enjoy the lecture-part of training.

The group had begun their physical training today as well, and Harry learned that they would be in the gym everyday for a minimum of two hours in an effort to increase their strength and stamina. Fortunately, Ron was remarkably good at the physical aspect of their training. It was going to take Harry quite a while to meet Ron's level. Ron was by nature larger and stronger than Harry, but thankfully, he and Ron had partnered up. They were going to be a good compliment for each other: Harry helping Ron with spells and problem-solving and Ron helping Harry in the gym.

He fell into bed that night exhausted. He pulled a piece of parchment and his quill from his bedside table, grabbed Ginny's letter as well and settled against his pillows, and with a smile on his face began to write.

_**September 2**_

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**It is romantic, isn't it? You bring out the best in me, I guess. I miss you already.**_

_**I'm glad that the atmosphere at Hogwarts is much more pleasant than last year. Give my love back to Hermione, and tell her Ron sends his as well. He said that he will be writing to her soon (yeah-that would be a first).**_

_**Yes, rest assured that your owl is very fast! Helena made it to me by nightfall last night. I'll send this one back with Hiro so that I can take care of Helena for a while and think of you! I've been sneaking looks at your picture when I should be paying attention. Ron's already caught me twice today, but has been kind enough not to laugh at me for too long. It's going to be a very difficult year being away from you, but as you said, we will both be very busy.**_

_**Today went well. The training is going to be difficult, but I'm glad that Ron is going through it with me. We started on dark magic detection, which was really interesting. I wish I had gone through this training before "the quest" last year. It probably would have helped some! It's very scary how much I don't know. I was so unprepared last year, what could Dumbledore have been thinking?!**_

_**Ron and I will be doing double studying for the next month – for training and also for our NEWTs. We'll be at Hogwarts on October 10**__**th**__**-11**__**th**__** to sit our exams, so we have that to look forward to! We'll be staying in Gryffindor Tower with you. Sound like fun?!**_

_**So, you began classes today, tell me what they were like. Who did McGonagall get to teach DADA? I want to know everything; everything that you're doing and feeling. **_

_**Know that I love you and I miss you and think about you all day long. I wish that I had the marauder's map with me and could watch you still (but then I would truly never get anything accomplished)! Write soon…**_

_**All of my love,**_

_**Harry**_

-------------------------------------

The first week of classes flew for Ginny. She loved all of her classes, especially the elective that she chose to take with Madame Pomfrey. It was called Magical Maladies and Cures, and was an introductory class to becoming a Healer, and Ginny thought that she might enjoy learning about healing after all of the deaths from the past year.

The amount of homework that all of her Professors gave had increased as well. She was studying at least three hours a night, trying to not get behind so early in the semester. Thankfully, she was in quite a few of the same classes as Hermione, so they were able to study together most nights.

She got Harry's letter a couple of days after school began, and she had read it so often that it laid quite flat where it had come to her tightly rolled in Hiro's talons. She was so excited that he and Ron were coming next month to sit their NEWTs. She and Harry would have tons of time together; at least that was her plan. She couldn't wait to see Harry, and was so happy that he seemed to like his Auror training.

She and Hermione were in the common room finishing their assignments one night when the portrait hole swung open and Professor McGonagall walked in. She came over to their table and asked, "Miss Weasley, may I see you for a moment, please?"

"Of course, Professor," Ginny responded, giving Hermione a quizzical look. Hermione shrugged her shoulders. Ginny got up and followed Professor McGonagall back through the portrait hole, and they walked a few paces down the corridor. "Is everything alright, Professor?" Ginny asked.

"Oh yes, quite alright, thank you. First, I wanted to congratulate you on your engagement to Mr. Potter. I am very excited for you both."

"Oh, thank you, Professor, that's so nice. We're planning an August 1st wedding, so please save the date!"

"I would be delighted to, thank you. I brought you out here to tell you a bit of good news, actually. I am very pleased to tell you that you have been named this year's Gryffindor Quidditch Captain."

Ginny's eyes went wide, and her hands flew to her mouth. "Oh, my God!!" She began jumping up and down. "This is amazing, Professor! Thank you so much!!"

"You are quite welcome, Miss Weasley. Now, I expect great things from you this year, please don't disappoint me."

"Absolutely not! I can't wait to get started."

Ginny ran back to the common room and shouted "I got it!" as soon as she entered, startling Hermione. Ginny spent the rest of the evening coming up with tryout dates and practice schedules; her homework utterly forgotten.

The next morning, she began a letter to Harry. Throughout the day, she would add bits and pieces to it, pretending to be writing notes in class, but really adding paragraphs to his letter. She was only caught once by Madame Pomfrey, who smiled indulgently at her. Madame Pomfrey loved Harry, and the thought that he had found his true love in Ginny had warmed her heart. Ginny was able to go up to the owlery right after her last class of the day and send Hiro back to Harry with the letter. She couldn't wait to hear what he thought about her being named captain!

_**9 September**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**Just remember I'm with you, I'm always with you, just as you are always with me. I know we can't be together this year, but I'm here for you. I'm sorry I can't be there everyday (we got so spoiled over the summer, being together every minute of the day). Dumbledore knew what he was doing when he entrusted you with those tasks last year. He trusted you above all others, just like I do. **_

_**Is it possible that it's only been 8 days since I saw you? It feels like years. I can't wait to see you on October 10**__**th**__**! I promise to leave you alone while you sit your exams, but all bets are off once they're done! You will be **__**all mine**__**. **_

_**Oh, bring your broomstick with you when you come, Harry. I want to show you some new moves that I've learned since I became QUIDDITCH CAPTAIN!!**_

_**Yeah, you heard right. I've been named captain! I am so excited, and have already begun planning out our training schedules. You think Wood was tough? He's got nothing on me! I want to start tryouts next week!**_

_**Classes are going well. I am skipping over Divination completely (I think that we've heard quite enough prophesies for a while), and have given up History of Magic (I couldn't handle another year of Professor Binns-poor man). I love my Charms class (Flitwick), and am also taking Transfiguration (McGonagall), Potions (Slughorn), DADA (Professor Fidelio – a friend of Professor McGonagall that she talked into taking the post) and Magical Maladies and Cures (Madame Pomfrey!) as my elective. I'm really liking this elective, and I'm good at it (so far). We'll see where it goes. I'm enjoying them all so far, but tons of homework already!**_

_**I love you Harry, and I miss you! Write quickly…**_

_**Ginny**_

Harry and Ron had just finished dinner at Grimmauld Place and were just settling down in front of the TV for a while before cracking open their books for a review session. Harry, obviously, was more into studying than Ron was. Soon, Harry mind was wandering to the letter that he had received from Ginny that morning. He was so proud of her – Quidditch Captain! He knew that she would be spectacular at it. He definitely wanted to go to Hogwarts to see her play this year. He missed flying with her; she was so graceful and alive when she was flying.

She was his rock, his constant comfort. She always knew what he needed to hear, and when he needed to be alone. He loved that she wanted some space as well, not needing to be with each other constantly to feel connected. But on the other hand, he would give up just about anything to be able to spend an entire day with her, holding her in his arms.

Thoughts of him and Ginny brought to mind the fantastic summer that they had all spent at the Burrow. It was such a relief from the stress of the prior year to just relax and not have to worry about anything anymore. Ginny, Ron, Harry and George would play Quidditch nearly everyday, while Hermione watched from the ground. It was usually Ron and George paired up and Harry and Ginny. Harry and Ginny usually won, as they were lighter and faster on their broomsticks. It began to feel like they could read each other's thoughts and were able to pass the quaffle between them with lightning speed, often without having to even look at each other. They knew that it was because they spent so much time together, and knew each other's moves as well as their own.

The relationship that he had with Ginny threw Ron and Hermione's into a dark relief for him. Harry felt badly about Hermione, he didn't think that Ron appreciated her enough. She was the glue that held them together last year, and Ron was so blasé about their relationship. It really irritated Harry sometimes. She was important to Harry, and he didn't like seeing her unhappy.

Harry decided that it was as good a time as any to talk to Ron about part of Ginny's first letter.

"Hey, Ron," Harry began. "Have you written to Hermione since she's gone?"

"Hmm? No, what for?" Ron said, concentrating more on the TV program than Harry's question. Ron was watching a cricket match that had just gotten very intense.

"I just thought it might be nice for her to hear that you miss her," Harry said, cracking open his book.

"Rubbish. She knows that. What do I need to waste my time for?" Ron said.

"She might appreciate hearing it every once in a while, you know," Harry said, but it was falling on deaf ears. At least he was trying. Harry continued, "What did you get her for her birthday?"

That question took a minute to register with Ron. "What?" Ron turned to Harry with his mouth open wide. Now, Harry had his complete attention. "HER BIRTHDAY?!! Oh, my God, Harry, how could I forget that? She'll kill me for sure. What should I do? What can I get her?"

"Um, dunno, a book?" Harry laughed.

"Funny, Harry. That's a good one," Ron said sarcastically. He got up and started to pace around the room. "Oh, I'm dead. She is going to kill me."

"Go up to Hogwarts and surprise her! Take her to dinner and be a little romantic for once!" Harry said.

"Yeah, romantic, right. That'll work. I have to owl McGonagall and see if she'll let me floo to her office. Night, Harry!"

And Ron was gone, apparating back to the Burrow, mumbling to himself as he went. Hopefully, Ron would make Hermione's birthday something special, but knowing his best friend like he did, Harry doubted it. Harry had already sent Hermione her birthday present, a beautiful Chagall print that she had admired over the summer.

Over the next few days, Harry came to realize that he had never been happier. Besides being upset for Hermione, he couldn't remember a time in his life when everything was perfectly in place, as it was now. He had a great house, a woman that he loved that loved him, too, and was going to marry, he was training for his dream job, had fantastic friends, and soon to be in-laws that he loved. Life was pretty perfect.

He worked on a letter for Ginny over the next few days.

_**18 September**_

_**Gin:**_

_**Congratulations!!Quidditch Captain – that's fantastic news! You were the natural choice, though! A true leader and the best seeker the school's ever had – including me! I'm really happy for you, and please send me your schedule so that I can come up and catch a few of your games. I'd love to see you beat Slytherin again. How's Hagrid? Have you seen much of him?**_

_**Thanks for your comforting words. You know that I am always here for you, too, and all you have to do is say you need me, and I will be there. I miss you so much. I never realized what I was missing until I found you. I can't explain this feeling I have of knowing that there's someone out in the world that loves me. It's completely empowering, comforting and awe-inspiring all at the same time. Do you ever feel that way? I'll be sitting in class or in the gym and just feel so at ease, peaceful. Fulfilled, you know? Thank you for that. How very sad my first eleven years were, now that I look back. I'll always look upon September 1, 1991 as the day my life finally began. It's completely insane how much I love you and need you.**_

_**Only three weeks left until I can see you and kiss you again. There are tons of other things I'd like to do to you, too, but maybe I can show you rather than tell you. I am glad about our talk over the summer, though. I think that we made the right decision for us, to wait until we're married. In the meantime, it's probably a good thing that we won't get to see each other very often this year. Being close to you and not being able to touch you the way that I want to would drive me a bit mad. But, I love you, and it will be worth the wait, I promise.**_

_**Training is going well, and I am actually enjoying the work. For the time being, studying is taking up tons of my time, but after the NEWTs are over, things should calm down for me fairly quickly. Kingsley has the Ministry back on an even footing, and the place seems to be running smoothly. They've been doing a fair bit of hiring as well, filling in a lot of holes that were left after the battle. I see your Dad nearly everyday. He seems a bit peaky, and when I asked him why, he said that your Mum has been driving him mad with wedding tasks. You may want to tell her to ease off the old man a bit!! I'll drop by to see her soon and see if there's anything I can do to help.**_

_**I'll leave you now, love. I have to study a bit before bed. I am sending you lots of hugs and kisses and all of my love.**_

_**Harry**_

As promised, Harry went to the Burrow one night after training ended and had dinner with Ginny's parents and Ron. They had a great time at dinner, telling stories about Ginny when she was young, and talking about the wedding. Ginny's Mum had tons of questions for Harry, and he did his best to answer, but really wanted Ginny to be the one who got everything the way she wanted it for the wedding, Harry just wanted her. Harry added his opinions on the food and music, but wanted to leave the decorating ideas for Ginny.

Harry loved the Burrow. He was so happy here; it felt like a real home, not like the Dursley's where he had been miserable. Every once in a while he would think about them and wonder where they were now. But, usually those thoughts were fleeting; Harry knew that they never thought of him.

He loved the fact that things at the Burrow weren't perfect. He liked that there were clothes strewn everywhere, that dishes were always in the sink, that towels were always on the floor in the bathroom. He loved that you could walk in and tell immediately that a real family that loved each other lived here. He was so comfortable here.

The family ate their way through four enormous courses, and Mrs. Weasley's cooking was as delicious as ever. She was thrilled to be able to fuss over Harry. Harry was stuffed by the time dessert was done (treacle tart – his favorite).

Harry excused himself after dessert and stole upstairs pretending to run to the loo, but ducked inside Ginny's bedroom instead. He walked over to her bed, picked up her pillow, hugged it to himself and inhaled her scent deeply. God, he missed her. He stood in the middle of her room looking around and remembering this past summer and the times he and Ginny had shared in here. They had spent hours in here talking about their future.

It was in this room that Harry knew with absolute certainty that Ginny was the only one that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He choked up a little now thinking of it. She had been standing by the open window, leaning out a bit laughing at Ron, when the wind caught her hair and whipped it behind her. She turned to Harry, who was lying on her bed, with a huge smile still on her face, and he knew. The look on her face was of just complete joy. She was beautiful, radiant. And he had known right then and there, he needed to be with her for the rest of his life. And when she said yes, it was the most awe-inspiring moment of Harry's life. She was really going to be his wife. The thought that she chose him still touched him so deeply. How did he get so lucky?

-----------------------------

On the 19th, Ginny was helping Hermione to get ready for dinner. It was her birthday and Ron was coming to Hogwarts to visit Hermione. The only thing that he would tell her about his visit was that they were going to dinner to celebrate.

"Ginny, what could he be thinking? Ron never does things like this," said Hermione.

"I know, I can't make sense of it myself. But, I think it's about time he did something spontaneous and special for you! You deserve it, and it's about time he saw that," Ginny replied, scowling.

"Well, I'm not going to read too much into it, I'm just going to enjoy the evening. It's going to be a treat just to leave the grounds for a while."

"Hermione, you look beautiful," Ginny said as she finished smoothing her hair. "I love that dress on you."

"Thanks, Gin, I loved the color when I saw it. Do you think Ron will like it?"

"He'd be a git not to. It's such a beautiful deep shade of brown. It's great with your hair and eyes, and you still have a bit of a tan from the summer. Perfect."

They were just coming down the stairs from the dormitories when the portrait hole opened and Ron walked in. He looked so well put-together that Ginny had to do a double take to make sure that it was really him. He was wearing a beige muggle suit; his hair had actually been brushed and looked great.

"Wow, Ron, you clean up well, who would have known?" said Ginny, laughing.

"Shut it." he said to her. He turned to Hermione and said, "You look beautiful, Hermione. Are you ready to go?"

------------------------

Ginny was sitting in the Common Room near the fireplace and groaned as she remembered Hermione ranting and raving about her birthday dinner. The evening had started out fine, according to Hermione. Ron was acting a little strained and fidgety, but she didn't really think anything of it. They walked to the Hog's Head and sat in a quiet corner. It was a Wednesday night, so it wasn't very crowded. Ron had bought her a pair of gold earrings (that he had bought in about ten minutes during his lunch today) that were very small and pretty. Hermione was quite delighted that he had remembered to give her anything at all. They ordered dinner and they began talking about Auror training and her classes, and Hermione broached the subject of Harry and Ginny's wedding. And that was when Ron exploded and the night went to pieces.

"This dumb wedding! That's all anyone can talk about. I sit in class all day, and Harry constantly talks about it, I go home at night, and my Mum talks about it. I am so sick of it, and we still have almost a year to go before it happens!!"

Hermione looked at him with her eyes wide and mouth agape. "Ron, what's wrong with you? It natural that people would talk about it, it's a happy occasion! You're Ginny's brother, and the best man I might add, so of course Harry is going to talk to you about it. And, really, did you expect your Mum to talk about anything else? Why are you so irritable?"

He was getting redder by the minute. "I just can't stand it anymore! Now, everyone is looking to me to get moving with you. My Mum was mad that I didn't buy you a ring for your birthday. I'm sure you are, too, right?!" He glared at her almost daring her to agree with him.

Hermione stared at Ron her eyes full of fire. "Wait a minute, you obnoxious git! First of all, we've only been together for five months. What idiot would get engaged after that short amount of time? And, second, have I ever, _ever_ pressured you into doing what you didn't want to do, Ronald? Who said that I would say yes to you anyway? Yeah, I think we're done here."

Hermione got up, grabbed her jacket and stormed out of the Hog's Head, and began walking back to Hogwarts. She looked over her shoulder when she reached the end of the block and started crying when she realized that Ron hadn't followed her. She slowed down and ran through the last twenty minutes in her mind. How dare he? How can he be so uncaring? She realized that he was under a fair bit of pressure, but did he think that her life was easy at the moment?

Her thoughts continued to torment her as Hermione made her up to the castle, and up to the Common Room. Ginny was sitting there when she walked in, and was surprised to see Hermione back so fast. It wasn't hard to see that she had been crying, so Ginny led her up to the dormitory, and Hermione told her everything that happened.

Ginny wrote Ron a hateful, scathing letter after she had calmed Hermione down. He was such a huge git, and he didn't deserve her best friend.

Harry had known something bad had happened as soon as he saw Ron the next morning at the Ministry.

"How did it go last night?" Harry asked innocently.

"I blew it." Ron said, not able to meet Harry's eye.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"Well, you remember what a crap day I had yesterday, right? Nothing was going right. Anyway, the night started off OK, but everything was irritating me. Then, she asked about your wedding, and I don't know what happened, I just snapped. I've been getting ragged on by Mum about not getting her a ring, and then when Hermione started on about the wedding, I just couldn't take it anymore and I was a total and complete git." Ron shook his head slowly.

"What are you gonna do about it?" asked Harry.

"No idea," said Ron. "But, whatever it is, it's gonna have to be good."

Ron didn't think that he could feel any worse about the evening, but the next day when Ron received Ginny's letter, he knew that wasn't true. She had called him every name in the book, all of which he deserved. He had no idea how to make this right with Hermione. It would take a miracle.

--------------------------------

A few days later, Ginny trudged up to the castle, soaking wet and up to her shins in mud. The tryouts for the Quidditch team had been dreadful. Ginny had her work cut out for her trying to whip these players into shape before their first game.

She hadn't been concentrating well ever since she received Harry's last letter. She kept imagining the things that he said he wanted to do to her. It would happen at the worst times, too! Sitting in Professor McGonagall's class (she asked Ginny a question and she had no idea what the question was), reading a chapter in her textbook (staring at the same page for hours) and just now on the Quidditch pitch when she should have been paying attention to the snitch (which zoomed right past her face and she didn't even notice it). Her teammates had laughed at her then, and Ginny called a very quick end to tryouts.

The next night, she wrote to Harry.

_**28 September**_

_**Harry:**_

_**I bet the things you want to do to me are nothing compared to what I have in store for you for our wedding night. You, unfortunately, have only been thinking about it for only a few months, while I have had YEARS to dream about you. To dream about you touching me, and me touching you. You just think about THAT for a while!**_

_**Yes, my love, I feel the same way. Do you know how happy you made me in your last letter? I know exactly the feelings that you described. I know what you mean about feeling complete, fulfilled, happy. Isn't it amazing what love can do for a person? I mean true, deep commitment. It's something to be treasured when you find it. It's rare, Harry, and we have it. I feel so incredibly blessed to have you in my life. I can't even think of my life without you, and I don't want to try. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, and I want to make you happy for the rest of our lives.**_

_**Even though I am missing you so much, I am truly happy. Like you, it's so nice to know that we're together and I have you to count on always. We're so lucky, Harry, and I promise to never take you for granted. I will always appreciate having you in my life.**_

_**We had our tryouts for Quidditch last night, and the possibilities are pretty dismal. I miss our old team, and knowing without having to look which way the bludger was being hit when Fred whacked it, we flew as one unit. This team is going to take a fair bit of practice to get them ready for a true game. I'd love it if you flew practice with us when you come in October, and maybe give them some moves that they can use. We have two third years (both beaters), two sixth years (keeper and chaser), two seventh year chasers and me (seeker, obviously). We have age on our side and height, but only two have played before, so it should make for an interesting season…**_

_**I sent my Mum an owl asking her to ease up on Dad a little. She told me that you went and had dinner with them last week. Thank you for that, Harry. Mum has been sending me owls nearly everyday asking about fabrics and colors and flowers – so I can imagine what my Dad has to go through being with her everyday, poor man! I know that you said I can have whatever I want for our wedding, but really, do you want anything special? Any particular color or flower? This is OUR wedding, Harry, and I want you to be happy, too. I'd love some input from you. For instance, my hair up or down? **_

_**Can you believe what a complete GIT my brother is? Did he tell you about Hermione's birthday dinner? What an idiot. I know he's my brother, but you know, she should chuck him. He doesn't deserve her.**_

_**On a brighter note, Hagrid says hello! Hermione and I finally had time to go down and sit with him for a spell on Saturday. Thanks for giving me the heads up about his baking skills! We made sure to go down after lunch, so we had an easy excuse not to be hungry! The cakes he put out looked a bit hard, but the tea was wonderful! Fang slobbered all over my robes, I think he misses you, too, and I know Hagrid definitely does. He wouldn't stop talking about you and Ron. It was sweet, actually, and it was nice to be able to talk about you to someone other than Hermione! He told me stories of you and Ron when you were younger, and made me laugh for hours!**_

_**Goodnight, my love, and please write soon.**_

_**I love you,**_

_**Ginny**_


	2. October

**OCTOBER**

Harry was happy that he was alone once he read Ginny's letter. He didn't get past the first paragraph before he put the letter down and was lost in thought. He couldn't allow himself to think too much about what Ginny had said. The thought of them touching each other was a dangerous road for Harry to go down. They had almost been carried away many times over the summer, and finally Harry had to sit Ginny down for a serious talk about their activities. Harry loved Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and didn't want to do anything that would make them lose their faith in him. He loved Ginny, but he also wanted to do what was best for her. He remembered their conversation from the summer…

--------------------

It was a warm day in August and Harry and Ginny were lying by the edge of the lake soaking up the sun's hot rays. It had started innocently enough, they were holding hands, and Ginny began stroking Harry's hand with her thumb. She rolled onto her side and draped her arm across Harry's bare chest, snuggling into his side. Her lips were trailing kisses down his side and across his chest when he closed his eyes and groaned. He took her hand, and said, "Gin, I think we should talk."

Groggily, Ginny looked up into Harry's eyes. "This doesn't sound like it's going to be a fun conversation."

Harry sat up, and leaned his back against a nearby tree, bringing Ginny along with him. He conjured a blanket for them to sit on. He settled back, and began gently, "Gin, you know I love you, you are my entire world. But, I think that we need to talk about our physical relationship."

"What do you mean, Harry?" she asked tentatively. "You don't want me?"

He could only chuckle, if she only knew how much…" Trust me; there is nothing that I would rather be doing than loving you in every single sense of the word, but…" Harry looked at Ginny with trepidation, "I think that we should wait."

"Wait? Wait for what?" Ginny asked.

"I think we should wait until we're married," Harry replied softly.

Ginny sat up and looked Harry in the eye. "Why, Harry? Is Ron giving you a hard time, or my parents? Have they said something to you?" Ginny was beginning to get very irritated, but Harry was quick to calm her.

"No, it's nothing like that. It's really just me. Your family is my first real family, Gin, the only one that I've ever known. I just feel like I would be disrespecting them if we had sex. I don't want to do anything that would shake the faith and trust that they put in me, Gin. I want to be with you, so much, but I just think that it would be the wrong thing for us, especially since you're going back to school, and I'm starting training. I think it would just be too complicated for us if we started that right now. We have enough on our plates at the moment." He stole a glance at Ginny again, and she has a deep furrow between her brows. He took a deep breath. "What are you thinking?" Harry asked.

"That you are the most incredible person I've ever met." She smiled.

"Yeah, right, or the most mental! How many men would turn YOU down?? Not many, I can tell you." Harry said, shaking his head, unable to believe what he had just said.

"Harry, I love you. You just keep amazing me. How do you do that?" She took Harry's hand and brought it to her lips and then pressed it against her cheek.

"Are you sure that you're OK with this?" Harry asked, wrapping Ginny in his arms.

"Of course, and actually a little relieved," said Ginny. "I want to as well, but I think you're right about the timing. We have a lot of other things to concentrate on for the time being. It would be _**great**_, though…but, you know what this means, right?"

"What?" Harry replied, smiling, hugely relieved.

"I will just have to dream about it, and come up with some unbelievably _fantastic_ moves for our wedding night."

"Oh, Gin," Harry groaned. "You are going torture me with this until next August, aren't you?"

"Mmm-Hmm," she answered, smiling up at Harry.

"Lord, help me. I try to do the right thing, and you can undo all of my good deeds with one look."

"Let's hope so."

"Gin, please try and help me with this! You know that I won't have a lot of willpower, so let's be good, OK?"

"Yes, Harry, we'll be very good," she said with a gleam in her eye.

"Yeah, I think I'm in trouble." Harry said, and they both laughed.

-----------------------

During his lunch break one particularly warm sunny day, Harry sat outside and began a letter to Ginny. He couldn't wait to see her again. Five days!

_**5 October**_

_**Dear Ginny:**_

_**I have spent MANY nights since getting your last letter imagining what you have in store for me for our wedding night, and I haven't gotten much sleep since! Trust me, I can think of some great stuff, so you better be prepared to deliver! It's not the amount of time we've had to think about it, it's the quality of the thoughts, as you will find out…**_

_**Our wedding – my favorite subject! I have to admit that I am doing a great job of driving Ron mad with my talk of it (as you know from Hermione, poor girl. Ron is trying to come up with something that will make it up to her, but nothing so far. I feel very bad for her, though). I am looking forward to the wedding more than anything in my life. I meant it when I said that you can have anything you want, anything that will make you happy will make me happy. But, OK, you want some of my thoughts? I would love if we could incorporate lilies (for my Mum) in the decorations somewhere, and I would love to see your hair down when you walk down the aisle to me. I will be imagining running my fingers through it and its sweet smell, and that should sustain me until you reach me at the altar. **_

_**I never realized how physical our training would be, but I fall into bed exhausted every night. We spend at least two hours a day running and working out, trying to build up our stamina. I'm finding that I really love this part of training, much more than sitting in the classroom. We're learning tons of new spells, both offensive and defensive. The Ministry is in the process of building a training room that we will use to try out different attack scenarios and advanced spell casting, which should help us a lot.**_

_**I'm glad that Hagrid is doing well, I'm sure he has his hands full with his classes. Tell him that I said hello, and look forward to seeing him next week. (Don't believe everything he tells you about me, either!)**_

_**Less than five days until you're in my arms again, love!**_

_**I love you, good night,**_

_**Harry**_

Ginny sat back and folded Harry's letter, a huge grin on her face. She loved that he wanted to be so involved in the wedding planning. She wanted Harry to be happy, too, and he definitely deserved some say in their day. She loved the idea of having lilies incorporated with the flowers, and also thought having her hair down rather than up would suit her better. It would be much more casual and comfortable for her, and if it made him happy in the process, that made her happy, too.

Ginny felt bad for her professors this week. She was a complete basket case just thinking about Harry coming up this weekend. Her concentration was shot, and she was barely getting her assignments completed in time for her classes. On Thursday, she was still writing an essay for McGonagall while she walked into the classroom. She had looked at Ginny from behind her spectacles with a glaring eye, but Ginny couldn't help it. The thought of holding and kissing Harry again pushed every other thought from her mind until it was nearly consuming her. It filled her every thought all day long.

She was able to give into her obsession while writing to Harry, and that's just what she did that night.

_**8 October**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**Two days! I can't wait to see you. Isn't there any way that you could come up on tomorrow night instead of waiting until Saturday? I'm sure that McGonagall would allow you to apparate early! Please think about it-that would mean so many more hours that we could spend together. I'm going a little mad being without you for so long. I love our letters, but they definitely do not make up for you being here in the flesh! Aah, your flesh. I can't wait to touch your flesh, and kiss you again. I've been obsessing about the freckle that you have on your chest, near your right shoulder. I can see it perfectly when I'm snuggled into your neck. I've been dreaming of tracing it with my fingers and my tongue. Harry, please hurry…**_

_**I hope that I can last until our wedding night, but it's getting tougher! **_

_**Seventh years are going to sit our mid-semester exams the week after you're here, so we will be studying together. What is your exam schedule for the weekend?**_

_**I'm sorry this is so short, Harry, but I need to finish a twelve inch parchment assignment for Madame Pomfrey on breaking a simple dark magic curse that's due tomorrow. I've been slacking off so much this week that I have a lot to catch up on! **_

_**I think about you all day long, and dream about you all night. I love you with all of my heart, Harry!**_

_**Ginny**_

_**9 October**_

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**Wow, is all I have to say about your letter. You gave me quite a bit to think about, and I have been staring at that freckle a whole lot more since you've pointed it out to me! Trust me, I can almost feel you touching it every time I see it, and it's driving me a bit insane, but in a very, **__**very**__** good way. **_

_**Do you want to know my favorite part of you? Can you guess? Other than your hair (which I can spend all day touching and burying my nose in), my favorite part are your hands. They are so smooth and strong, but gentle and loving at the same time. The feel of your fingers intertwining with mine when we're just sitting in the orchard or by the lake, doing nothing but being together. When you stroke my hand with your thumb absentmindedly when you're content, those are my favorite memories and favorite things about you. You're so incredible.**_

_**Part 1 of the exam is from 11AM-3PM on Saturday. Part 2 is on Sunday from 9AM to 2PM, and then we're finished. I will be able to stay with you until 7PM, when McGonagall is kicking us all out. I promise to be a good boy and sit with you as you study for your exams, too. As long as I get to be with you, I don't care what we're doing. **_

_**I will see you about 10AM tomorrow, love, I can't wait!**_

_**Always,**_

_**Harry**_

Harry rolled his letter and secured it to Hiro's leg and let the owl fly out into the night. He hoped that Ginny would get his letter before he apparated to Hogwarts tomorrow morning. It was nearly 10:00PM, and Harry had only gotten home from the Ministry an hour ago. He grabbed a quick bite of dinner, and trudged upstairs to reply to Gin's letter. He spent the remainder of the night packing for his weekend and reviewing for the weekend's tests. Unfortunately, the studying was sporadic at best; his thoughts were way too centered on seeing Ginny again in less than twelve hours.

The students returning for their NEWTs were given a one hour window to apparate into Professor McGonagall's office, and Harry signed up for the earliest possible time slot (9:45AM). Ron, of course, only thinking about himself had requested the latest time (10:45AM) possible so that he could spend more time sleeping. Harry couldn't wait to see Ginny, and he knew that sleep would probably elude him tonight anyway, so he would be awake well before the appointed apparition time.

---------------

Ginny, too, was preparing for Harry's visit. She snuck out of the Common Room around 7PM and flew to the Room of Requirement. She paced back and forth three times concentrating on what she would need once she entered. The door appeared and she stepped in, always amazed by this incredible room. It was lit with what seemed like a thousand cream colored candles, and in the middle stood an enormous bathtub filled with steaming hot water and millions of bubbles. The softest robe that Ginny had ever felt stood next to the tub on a coat rack, along with a huge fluffy towel. A variety of shampoos, soaps and conditioners were in a basket near the edge of the tub waiting for Ginny to choose. She took a deep breath and let escape a sigh of relief. She was so ready to be alone for a bit.

She spent over an hour in the tub relaxing and letting her mind just wander. Of course, the topic that kept creeping back into her mind was Harry. Tomorrow morning! They would be together again. Thank God. She wondered if they would find their way back to this room over the weekend, just the two of them. It would be wonderful to have some time alone with Harry.

The water began to cool, so she quickly washed her hair and lathered her body, shaving her legs in the process. She stood up and wrapped herself in the soft robe, and placed the towel around her hair. She wasn't ready to leave the calming room, she was enjoying this time alone. She unwrapped the towel from her hair, and ran a brush through it, smoothing out the tangles. At 9:30PM, she dressed again in the clothes she came in, and returned to the Common Room.

She entered the dormitory and Hiro was noisily tapping on the window nearest her bed. She smiled as she crossed the room and let him in.

"I'm sorry, boy, I don't have any treats for you in here. You'll have to fly up to the owlery and forage up there," she said to the bird softly as she stroked his feathers. "I'm sorry, baby." The bird nipped her finger affectionately and flew out of the open window. Ginny fastened the lock, and lay on her bed, unrolling the parchment as she did.

She smiled as she read through Harry's letter, and laughed out loud at the parts about his freckle. Ginny knew that that would get a great reaction from him. She was so touched when he said that his favorite part of her was her hands. She knew that it wasn't strictly true, but it was nice to hear anyway. He was so amazing. It was going to test all of her strength this weekend to stick to the agreement that they had made over the summer about waiting. Ginny didn't know if she would be able to touch Harry without wanting more.

Ginny woke at 6AM on Saturday morning. She knew that there wasn't any way that she would be able to go back to sleep, so she slipped quietly from her bed, grabbed her books, and went down to the Common Room. She sat by the fireplace on the couch where she and Harry had spent so much time together. She took the blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped herself up in it and stared at the flames. Eventually, she turned her attention to her books, promising herself that she would get some of her reading done before she went to McGonagall's office to meet Harry. She loved that he didn't know she would be there to meet him; she was dying to see his face when she surprised him. She had asked Professor McGonagall if it was possible to be there when Harry apparated, and she was met with a glare (unfortunately Ginny asked on the same day that her mind was on Harry and not on transfiguration).

"Miss Weasley, I suggest that you spend a little more time with your studies and less on thoughts of Mr. Potter. You would do well to remember that your mid-semester exams are next week. I hope that you have been using your time more wisely than you do in this class in preparing for them."

"I'm sorry, Professor," Ginny began, sheepishly. "I'm sure that it's only because Harry is visiting this weekend that my thoughts are so scattered. We are planning on studying together when he's not sitting his NEWTs."

Professor Mc Gonagall gave her a very skeptical look. "Mmm-hmm. Very well, Miss Weasley. I will give you permission to surprise Mr. Potter tomorrow morning. He is due to arrive in my office at 9:45AM."

"Thank you! I'll be there!"

And she was. Ginny arrived in the Headmistress' office at 9:40AM, and it was everything that she could do to prevent herself from not coming here hours before! She paced back and forth until she heard a loud pop, and Harry was suddenly right in front of her. She screamed his name and flew across the room jumping into his arms. She saw his face break into the largest smile that she had ever seen and his eyes were sparkling as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

"God, I missed you!" Harry exclaimed. He kissed Ginny again.

"Excuse me, you two!" Professor McGonagall said rather loudly. "Others are coming soon, you two will need to exit the office. By the way, welcome back, Mr. Potter."

"Thank you Professor," Harry said once he could extricate his lips from Ginny's. Harry grabbed his overnight bag and walked with Ginny out of the office, holding her hand. Once the gargoyle stopped revolving at the bottom of the stairs, he wrapped his arms around Ginny and drew her into a passionate kiss.

"Mmm," was all Ginny could manage.

"You are so beautiful, and you smell so good!" Harry said as he buried his nose in her hair.

"I can't believe you're really here!" Ginny said. "I think I'm still dreaming."

"Then this is the best dream I've had in over a month," said Harry.

"I agree, love. Wow, I missed you so much."

"Me, too," said Harry. "Let's go drop off my stuff and then we can take a quick walk, if you'd like."

They headed to Gryffindor tower, and met Hermione in the Common Room. "Harry!" she screamed and flew over to give him a hug. He held her for a long time; he didn't realize how much he missed her until he saw her again.

"How are you, Hermione?"

"Oh, I'm doing alright. School is not as much fun without you guys this year."

"Yeah, no three-headed dogs to get past, people trying to kill us or D.A. meetings to attend."

"Yeah. Boring," agreed Hermione with a sly smile.

Harry, Ginny and Hermione spent so much time catching up, that a walk was out of the question. Ginny walked Harry down to the Great Hall at 10:55AM where the NEWTs were being given. Ron was already there waiting for Harry. He and Ginny hadn't spoken to each other since Hermione's birthday fiasco, and she just glared at him now.

She turned her attention back to Harry. "I'll meet you back here at 3PM, OK?"

"Of course," Harry said. "I love you." He leaned down to kiss Ginny.

"I love you, too," she said. "Good luck!" She mumbled "git" to Ron as he entered the Hall and he scowled at her.

Ginny returned to the Common Room intent on using these four hours until Harry's test ended to her greatest advantage. Now that she knew Harry was here, and she had been able to spend the last hour with him, she was calm and able to focus. She flew through the assignments that she had been given in all of her classes this week, and felt that she had done a good job on them as well.

At 2:30PM, she went down to the kitchens and asked the elves to pack a picnic lunch for herself and Harry. Once they heard that it was for Harry Potter, she had to stop them from making the basket too heavy for her to carry! The elves kept adding everything they could think of to the basket, trying to please the great Harry Potter. Ginny had to giggle at their adoration, and was glad when she was finally able to convince them that Harry had enough food for three days!

She was at the entrance to the Great Hall with three minutes to spare and was just sitting down to wait when Hermione appeared. "Hey, Hermione," she said.

"Hey, Gin."

"Are you alright?" Ginny asked.

"I need to talk to Ron," responded Hermione, looking rather glum.

"It'll be OK, Hermione. You know he's a git, and unfortunately he probably won't ever change, so you need to decide if you can accept him this way, or if you need to let him go."

"I know. It's just a difficult decision. He's been my focus for so long, that I can't even remember why we started, you know?"

"Yeah, but…" Ginny started to answer. She wasn't able to finish her thought, though.

At that moment, the doors to the Great Hall were thrown open and fifty students came pouring from the Great Hall. Harry was the first one out, followed closely by Ron. Ron stopped short when he saw Hermione standing with Ginny, and he approached them slowly. Harry, on the other hand, had Ginny in his arms in about three seconds flat. He smiled when he saw the picnic basket, blanket and her backpack. Reading her mind, he smiled, took Ginny's hand and led her out to their favorite tree by the black lake, leaving Ron and Hermione without a word.

"This is perfect, Gin!" he said. "I really didn't want to be around anybody else, I just want us to spend some time alone together."

"My thoughts exactly, Harry." He took the basket from her and threw the blanket on the ground under their tree. They settled onto the blanket, and as she unpacked their lunch, Ginny told him about the house elves reaction in the kitchens. He laughed with her, and soon they were savoring the delicious food. He knew that when he got to the bottom of the basket, a treacle tart would be waiting.

Harry fell back against the tree patting his stomach and groaning. "I haven't eaten this much since I was a student here! I'm never going to be able to keep up on Monday in the gym."

Ginny moved over into his arms, her head resting on his chest, her hands running lightly over his muscles. "Yeah, I've been meaning to tell you, I heartily approve of your new regime. You look and feel spectacular!"

Harry chuckled. "Now, Gin, you promised that we were going to be good!"

"I said I'd try, Harry. That's the best I can do." He frowned down at her, and she huffed. "Fine! Let's read some, and then we'll see, How's that?"

"I guess I'll have to take that for now." Harry reached into her bag and pulled out a couple of books that he needed to review for tomorrow's portion of the tests. Ginny grabbed a book for herself, and flipped over onto her stomach and began reading. Harry lay down next to her, with his hand resting on her back. Ginny kept stealing glances at Harry as she pretended to study. He kept catching her and laughing. He reached out and took her hand, gently kissed it, and then tucked it into his chest, their fingers interlaced. Ginny leaned over and kissed Harry, and then tried to concentrate on her reading, her head lying lightly on his shoulder.

Harry abandoned all hope of reviewing about an hour later. He closed his book with a loud thunk, and rolled onto his back. He stretched lazily and closed his eyes, a grin stretching across his face.

"What are you looking so pleased about?" Ginny asked, closing her book, too, and pulling herself closer to Harry.

"I'm just enjoying the day. The sun's shining, it so warm, and I'm here with my favorite person in the world. What could be better than this?" Harry asked, peeking at Ginny from the corner of his eye.

"Umm…" Ginny said, sliding over to snuggle against Harry's chest. "I have to agree. I've dreamed about you being here with me for so long. I love you."

"I love you, too. You have no idea."

"Oh, I think I can guess." Ginny closed her eyes and traced circles around Harry's chest, letting out a very contented sigh. Harry pulled her arm until she was lying on top of him in the sunshine.

"Now, where's that freckle?" Ginny asked with a gleam in her eye. Harry laughed out loud. He kissed her for what felt like hours. They finally rolled onto their sides facing each other. When they pulled apart, Ginny couldn't stop smiling. Harry held her and they said nothing.

Ginny stared at their hands, hers playing with Harry's fingers and occasionally bringing them to her lips. Harry ran his thumb along her lips and couldn't tear his eyes away from them for the longest time. "You make me so happy," he said. Ginny looked up into his eyes, and smiled at the depth of love she saw there. She pulled him as close as she could and said, "I feel like I'm home when I'm with you." Harry smiled as he looked into her eyes and said, "You are."

Ginny grinned and kissed Harry again, his arms snaking around her back and pulling her closer. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and he groaned softly as he opened his lips for her, twisting her hair around his hands. Their tongues met and danced with each other, making both of them pant with pleasure. Ginny pulled away minutes later, flushed and happy and looking at Harry like she couldn't believe he was real.

"Harry…" she began, but couldn't find the words to finish her thought. She giggled at how muddled her thoughts had become, and he grinned in response, knowing exactly how she felt. He couldn't have formed a coherent thought at that moment, either.

He kissed her again, softly, making Ginny ache with desire for him. She threw herself into Harry, their bodies touching in every possible place from their heads to their toes, and the feeling was incredible. She could feel Harry, all of Harry, and she wanted nothing more than this man for the rest of her life.

They were forced to put an end to their perfect afternoon when the sun began to set. Ginny sighed, not wanting to move from this spot, but gathered up the books and put them back in her bag as Harry folded the blanket and repacked the picnic basket. Harry cast a spell sending the basket back to the kitchens, and he took Ginny's backpack and her hand and they walked slowly back to the castle.

Harry went to shower and Ginny went to her dormitory to change. She saw Hermione lying across her bed when she entered, and Ginny asked,

"What happened, Hermione?"

"We talked and it went OK. He apologized for my birthday disaster. I just don't know yet, Gin."

"Well, the good thing is that you don't have to make a decision right this minute. You've got nothing but time, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess we'll just see what happens," said Hermione.

"Meanwhile, come down to dinner with Harry and me."

"Yeah, that'll be good. I haven't talked to Harry in a long time."

Ron wound up joining them, too, and it was just like old times as the foursome sat and laughed about anything and everything. It took a while for Ron and Hermione and get over their awkward tension, but they finally smiled at each other, and they began to have fun. Harry sat next to Ginny, and held her hand whenever he could. Ron and Hermione looked better together by the end of dessert. They had actually laughed with each other and Ron had draped his arms around Hermione's shoulder. Hopefully, they were on their way to repairing their relationship.

The four of them sat in the Common Room for over an hour talking. Finally, Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her to her feet. "We're going for a walk, we'll see you later," Harry announced and the couple left through the portrait hole, leaving Ron and Hermione staring after them.

"Where are we going?" asked Ginny with a smile on her face.

"I have a surprise for you."

"How did you arrange a surprise? We were together all day long!"

"Oh, I have my ways," Harry answered, grinning at Ginny. "Stand right here."

They were in front of the Room of Requirement. Ginny stood still, smiling, as Harry paced back and forth in front of the door. It finally appeared on his third pass, and they entered the room.

Instead of a bathtub that appeared for Ginny last night, this time the room was an exact copy of the Gryffindor Common Room, complete with fireplace. The only difference that Ginny noticed was that the couch that normally sat by the fireplace was roughly double its normal depth. She turned to Harry and smiled.

"I just thought that we could be alone. I don't want to be separated from you any more than I have to, and at least here we can be comfortable, OK?" Harry asked.

"Absolutely. I think it's brilliant," said Ginny. She settled herself on the oversized sofa, and Harry was quick to be by her side. The fire was roaring, and it made the room very cozy. Harry took Ginny in his arms, and they sat, staring at the fire for a few minutes before Ginny said, "This was such a good idea. I'm glad that we can be alone again."

"Me, too." Harry lay down on his side and brought Ginny down in front of him, her back pressed against his chest with his arms wrapped around her. She held his hands and ran her thumb across his fingers as they gazed into the fire, talking softly.

Ginny's imagination began to run wild. Having Harry this close to her was driving her a bit mad. She kept picturing his hands roaming everywhere, and a low moan escaped her lips before she could stop it. She took Harry's hand, still captured by her own, and began moving them slowly in circles across her abdomen.

Behind her, Harry closed his eyes, and just reveled in his body's reaction to Ginny's touch. He shifted back slightly away from her, attempting to put a little space between his erection and Ginny, but she wouldn't allow it. As soon as he moved back, she pushed herself back into his hips and ground her hips against him gently at first, making him close his eyes and breath heavily into her ear. She grinned at the sound. She was driving him crazy.

"Gin…" was all he could get out before the sensation of her hips pressing back into his erection made him stop and close his eyes again. He pushed his hips forward gently into her backside, addicted to the shot of electricity that jolted through his body at the subtle touch.

He dreamed about doing this for so long, and now she was allowing him to feel her, all of her. He let go of her fingers and began running his hands over her flat stomach. He hitched her shirt up a little and touched her stomach gently. He smiled when her breath caught in her throat, and he kissed her neck gently. When his tongue flicked out and tasted her skin, she arched back into him once again and then flipped over to face him.

"What are we doing?" Harry managed to squeak out, looking at Ginny through half-closed eyes.

"Loving each other…" said Ginny, smiling slightly, kissing his chest as she worked the buttons on his shirt.

He brought his hands up and grasped hers, stilling them. "We can't, Gin. What about everything we said?"

She looked into his eyes. "The only thing stopping us is us, Harry, and I don't want to stop," she responded. She took Harry's hand and placed it on her breast, and he lost all control from that point on. He had been counting on Ginny to be the strong one and stop them when they got too close to the edge, but that point never came. She never pulled away or asked him to stop, and he couldn't find the will to do it himself.

He pulled his shirt off when she finished the last button, and pulled hers over her head. She ran her hands along his ribs and arms, the soft, dark hair running down his chest, memorizing the feel of him. He allowed his hands to roam freely over Ginny's body, trying not to think too much, just allowing himself to feel her, feel everything.

He unclasped her bra and flung it to the floor, never taking his eyes from her breasts. He licked his lips as he looked at her, and Ginny's breath caught in her chest as Harry flicked his thumb across her nipple. As it hardened under his fingers, Harry caught her tight bud between his fingers and gently pinched. Ginny arched her back into his hands and closed her eyes.

"Oh, God, Harry, please…" she said.

He brought his mouth to her nipple and began licking and sucking on it gently at first, then a little harder as Ginny's groans got louder. Her hands ran through Harry's hair, pulling his head against her chest.

She released his hair, and Ginny's hands wandered over his chest, down his stomach to the waistband of his jeans. She rubbed his erection through his jeans, and Harry released her nipple and exhaled sharply against Ginny's skin.

"Ginny…" Harry started, still unsure about what they were doing. He looked up into her deep brown eyes that were filled with love for him.

"Please, Harry, please…I need you so much…" she replied, continuing to rub him gently.

"Oh, God," he replied, and rolled onto his back, his resolve completely broken. He discarded his jeans and boxers hurriedly and Ginny, seeing what he was doing, made fast work of removing her own and tossing them and her knickers to the floor. Harry rolled back to face Ginny and they looked at each other shyly, seeing each other completely naked for the first time.

"Well, this is interesting," Harry said, smiling.

"Umm Hmm…" Ginny replied and grinned at Harry.

She reached out tentatively to feel him, and at her first touch, Harry trembled. Ginny smiled as she continued to touch Harry, finally wrapping her hand around him and stroking up and down. Harry closed his eyes and groaned, focusing on the exquisite pleasure surging through his body at Ginny's touch.

"Is this okay?" she asked. "Am I doing it right?"

"God, yeah," he replied, laying back and panting slightly. Ginny leaned over him, putting her head on his chest and looking down at her hand on Harry, never wanting to forget this image. She continued to pump him, harder and harder and his hips began to buck up into her hand. Harry's groans were getting louder and louder as she continued, and she bent her head low and brushed her tongue around the head of his erection.

That was all it took. As her pushed her head away, Harry screamed, "Ginny, move!" and as soon as she lifted her head to question him, she felt him pulse against her hand and saw the white stream across his stomach. She looked back at Harry and he had his eyes closed and his breath was coming out in short pants. He opened his eyes and saw her looking at him and said, "Sorry...."

She smiled at him and handed him his t-shirt and he cleaned himself up as best as he could as she watched.

"That was amazing," she said, kissing Harry as he smiled at her.

"Yeah, it was," he replied, rolling her onto her back. "Now, it's my turn…" he smiled at Ginny and kissed her neck, sucking gently at the skin there. He kissed his way down to her breasts and his hand traveled across her stomach to her hip.

"Gin, are you sure?" he asked again. She just nodded, keeping her eyes closed, feeling his touch everywhere at once.

His hand ran across her stomach and down onto the soft hair of her mound. Ginny moaned and turned her head to the side, opening her legs for Harry slightly. He took the invitation, and ran his fingers down into her hot folds of skin. His fingers trailed through her slick skin and he moved them in more and more until Ginny was thrashing underneath him.

"Harry, yes…please, more," she said through gritted teeth.

He plunged two fingers deep into Ginny's core, causing her to scream his name at top volume and grab the fabric of the couch in her fists.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered to her as her looked at her face and continued to pump in and out of her. "So beautiful, Gin."

"Harry," was all that she could reply. She looked into his eyes and smiled. He removed his fingers and she whimpered until he found her clit and began rubbing it in small circles. Ginny gasped and sat up on her elbows, unable to lie back any longer. She looked deep into Harry's eyes with wonderment. Ginny was unable to believe that anything could make her feel so good. She had touched herself there, of course, but couldn't believe that Harry was touching her so intimately and making her feel so incredible.

She squeezed her eyes shut and said, "Yes, Harry…oh God….now!" and she moaned loudly as she came. Harry plunged his fingers back into Ginny and felt her pulsing around his fingers. He kissed her breasts as she rode out her orgasm, and she flopped herself back onto the couch, spent.

Harry lay next to her, watching her face as her breathing came back down to normal, and she peeked at him through the corner of her eye.

"My, God, Harry," she said. He smiled in response. After a minute, Ginny pushed Harry onto his back, and straddled his hips, sitting back onto his thighs. She looked down at his very prominent erection and then back into his eyes.

"It looks like you're ready for me," she said softly, grinning slightly.

He nodded, "Yes, but are you ready for me?" he responded, teasing her right back.

To prove that she was, Ginny snaked two fingers down her stomach past her mound and into her core while Harry watched, wide-eyed. She withdrew her fingers and wrapped them around Harry's dick proving how ready she was.

"Yes, I'm ready," she smirked as Harry grinned. She took Harry in her hand and brought him to her entrance. She took him into her slowly, knowing that it was going to be uncomfortable and possibly painful. She stroked him in and out, going deeper each time until he finally reached her barrier.

She closed her eyes and lowered herself onto him completely, sucking in her breath at the ripple of pain that she felt. Harry watched her face intently, grimacing at the look of pain that flashed across her features. "I'm sorry, Gin…are you okay?" he asked tentatively.

She opened her eyes and found Harry's, "Yes, I'm fine, just give me a second." She began moving again, once the pain subsided, and the feeling of Harry being inside of her became indescribable. She felt filled to the brim, she pumped faster and faster, needing him so much.

Harry grabbed a hold of Ginny's hips and helped her to set a fast rhythm, deeper, more intense. His hips began moving of their own accord, thrusting up to meet Ginny's as she brought hers down to him. The feeling, the friction, was incredible, and very soon he and Ginny were crying out each other's names, and she collapsed on top of Harry as they lay there panting and sweaty as they held each other close.

"I love you, Gin, so, so much," Harry whispered to her.

"I love you, too, Harry. You're my whole life," she replied softly.

Throughout the night, Ginny brought him to heights he never thought he'd reach. Again and again.

They lay on the couch, loving each other until the early morning. For two people who had no idea what they were doing, they had managed very well. Harry was holding Ginny, his hands running up and down her slightly sweaty back when he said,

"I swear I didn't have this in mind when I thought this up, Gin."

"I didn't think you did, Harry. I'm so glad, though. It was amazing. This weekend couldn't get any better."

"We should go back before anyone wakes up."

They dressed slowly and returned to their own common room. They lie down on their small couch and fell asleep quickly. Ginny woke much earlier than Harry. She stared at him, memorizing his features once again. Once she heard people beginning to stir, she woke Harry with a kiss and nudged him off the couch.

Ginny went to shower and change her clothes and Harry did the same, and they met at the portrait hole. Harry wouldn't meet Ginny's eyes, but took her hand and led her downstairs for a quick breakfast. They met Ron and Hermione there, and Ginny and Hermione left to go upstairs as the long tables in the Great hall were magicked away and replaced with fifty individual desks for the second half of the NEWT exams.

Ginny returned to her dorm straight away and fell into bed. She felt bad that she was able to rest while Harry had to sit his exams working on about three hours sleep. She hoped it wouldn't hurt his grades too much.

She spent the next hour lying in her bed just reliving last night. She smiled, and eventually fell asleep.

She met Harry and Ron at 2PM outside the Great Hall, and they went back upstairs to get changed. Harry and Ron were planning on coming to Ginny's Quidditch practice with her team. The four of them walked down to the Quidditch pitch (Hermione was going to watch, and of course she brought a backpack full of books with her) surrounded by Ginny's team. Ron and Harry borrowed school brooms and equipment, and kicked off from the ground. Harry zoomed around the pitch as fast as he could on the school broom, and smiled for the first time today.

He was feeling so torn. On the one hand, he was so incredibly happy about last night. Ginny was so amazing and beautiful and he couldn't believe that they had actually slept together. On the other, he was so disappointed in himself that he couldn't resist the temptation of her body for even one night. His speech sounded so good over the summer, and then he went and did everything that he said he wouldn't do. It had been a constant struggle for him as he sat his exam, wrestling with his conscience, but trying to concentrate on the exam questions at the same time. It had been a huge relief when the test finally ended and now it was great to be back up in the air on his broomstick, letting out some pent up energy. He flew as fast as his broom would take him around the pitch, diving straight towards the ground and pulling up at the last second, and practicing his turns and twirls in the air.

For the next two hours, he and Ron helped Ginny go over some of the best moves that they had with her team. Harry switched between playing beater and chaser, since Ginny was the teams' seeker, and he had a great time trying to score goals on Ron. Ron had improved greatly as keeper over the summer, especially since they played in the orchard nearly every day. Also, he was much more relaxed since it wasn't an official game, and he wasn't nearly as nervous.

After the practice had ended, and Harry and Ginny had showered, the found themselves back under their favorite tree by the lake. Harry, once again, was subdued and not talking very much. Ginny finally asked,

"Harry what is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, and everything." He took Ginny in his arms and tried to explain. "Please don't think that I'm not happy about last night, because it was incredible. But, with our talk and everything over the summer, I am just disappointed in myself that all of my good intentions were out the window the minute I touched you."

Ginny smiled into his chest. "I'm glad. Harry please don't feel guilty. If anyone should, it should be me; I kind of pushed the issue a bit. I'm not sorry, and I hope you're not because it was the most amazing night of my life and I wouldn't have changed one thing about it."

Harry sighed deeply, and leaned back, pulling Ginny across his chest. Within minutes, Harry was sleeping, and Ginny just stared at his perfect face. She loved his long eyelashes and the tiny dimple in his chin that no one ever noticed but her. She loved when he didn't shave and stubble started to grow on his jaw line and she loved his thickset eyebrows, and the dimples that appeared in his cheeks when he was laughing…

She brushed his hair away from his eyes, took off his glasses so that he would be more comfortable, and traced the lightning bolt scar on his forehead that has been slightly fading for the past five months. She loved him so intensely, it was impossible to put into words. She smiled at the memory of his face last night. The moment of his release when his eyes closed, his eyebrows furrowed deeply and his head fell forward onto her chest was the most fantastic moment of Ginny's life.

She let Harry sleep until 6PM, and then she gently woke him with a kiss so that he could pack before returning to McGonagall's office. They made their way slowly up to Gryffindor tower and Ginny went with him to this dorm and sat on the bed while he packed his things. Tears slid from her eyes and she tried to wipe them away without Harry seeing.

"You never have to hide your tears from me, love," Harry said gently. He folded her gently into his arms and held her.

"It's silly, I know. I'm just going to miss you so much."

"Me, too, but you'll be home in eight weeks," Harry said, but it did nothing to soothe Ginny. It had only been six weeks since she had seen Harry before this and it nearly undid her, now she faced eight weeks without him.

The walk to McGonagall's office was a somber one for them. They didn't talk much, but Harry held her close until they got inside.

"I love you, Ginny."

"I love you, too. Write, Harry."

"Of course, I will. I love you." And with that he turned on the spot with a smile, and was gone.

_**11 October**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**I know that I should apologize to you, but I just can't seem to make myself feel sorry for what happened. Last night was the most incredible night of my life, and I wouldn't change one thing about it. I hope that you're not beating yourself up or feeling terribly guilty or anything, because I feel pretty wonderful.**_

_**I have tingles running up and down my body just remembering seeing you apparate into McGonagall's office. You looked so good I couldn't help but jump into your arms. The grin that spread over your face when you saw me there touched my heart so deeply. Knowing that it was me that put that sparkle in your eyes was so surreal. You make me feel a million different things at once, and I love it.**_

_**It was so nice to do ordinary things with you again. Having breakfast together, sitting under our tree by the lake and just spending time together as we studied throughout the afternoon. Wasn't it the perfect day? The sun was shining and it was still warm. I was so perfectly content, I couldn't stop smiling! I confess that I don't think I got much studying done – my mind was wandering constantly. I was surprised that you didn't feel my thoughts; they were so interconnected with you. I couldn't believe that you were really there and my hand was wrapped up in yours, after dreaming about you being here with me for so long.**_

_**And then last night. I thought that we couldn't be closer, but I was so wrong. That was the single most important moment of my life, Harry. I felt so completely linked with you, it was indescribable. We belong to each other. I'm so glad that it was you that I shared that with for the first time. I can't imagine giving myself in that way to someone that I didn't love and trust. Thank you for that.**_

_**You were acting so strange this morning, and I am hoping that it was because you were worried about how I would react in the light of day. I thought that my smile and not being able to keep my hands off of you may have given you a hint that I was more than OK with it, but it didn't seem to work. **_

_**Please write and let me know how you are, because I am delirious right now. The only thing I'm worried about is you. I miss you already, and you've just been gone two hours. Christmas seems a lifetime away.**_

_**I love you more than you know,**_

_**Gin**_

'She's incredible,' Harry thought to himself as he folded her letter. What he ever did to deserve her he didn't know, but he was incredibly grateful for her. The weekend had been perfect. Loving Ginny was the most amazing moment of Harry's life. She was so beautiful, and for reasons that he could not comprehend, she wanted him, too. The battle between his bliss and his conscience was far from over, though. He took out a roll of parchment, and began a response to her. It took him several days to finish it, and he hoped that she would agree with him when she read it.

_**16 October**_

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**It was beyond words being with you this past weekend. I miss you so much already! Saturday was so perfect, I can't imagine anything better. It was so nice being with you by the lake and kissing you all afternoon while pretending that we were studying! And Saturday night…beyond anything I imagined. Ron knew immediately what happened between us, but surprisingly, he was pretty calm about it. I guess since he and Hermione have been together that he didn't have much to say about us. **_

_**I'm sorry that I seemed distant to you on Sunday. I was a little apprehensive about your reaction, but was glad that you seemed fine. But, as long as we're being honest with each other, Gin, I think we should wait to be together again like that until after we're married. I couldn't believe that it was happening, and I was so happy, and so completely in love with you. I tear up just thinking about it now. But, Gin, I'm still so torn about it. I feel like I am violating the trust that your parents put in us, and I don't want to do that. They are like my own parents, and I can't see them everyday knowing that they trust me, and I don't deserve it. Can you understand? I'm sorry if this hurts you, but I think it's the right thing to do. I want to deserve you and be worthy of you when we are finally married.**_

_**It was unreal to me that the first time we're together again; we couldn't control ourselves for one night! After all of our talks and planning to wait, and then the lust took over! We have no self-control, do we?! But, I will have the memories of Saturday night that will sustain me until August 1**__**st**__**. It was so amazing and beyond anything I could imagine, and I had been imagining it for a long time! You are so beautiful, and I am the luckiest man alive, and so thankful that you chose me. I'm glad that we shared that with each other, too. Let me know your feelings and if you're OK with this.**_

_**I'll write soon, love. I miss you.**_

_**Yours always,**_

_**Harry**_

Ginny frowned as she read through Harry's letter. She did understand why Harry felt guilty, but she thought that he was thinking way too much about her parents. She knew that she would never fully understand the relationship between Harry and her parents. Her Mum and Dad were much more to him than just his best mate and girlfriend's parents; they were his parents as well; the only real parents that Harry had ever known. To her, they were only Mum and Dad, but Harry appreciated everything that they represented, to a much greater degree then Ginny ever had. She took their presence for granted, but Harry knew how precious it was to have them in his life.

She wished that Sirius was still here so that Harry could have someone that was strictly his own, if that made any sense. Someone apart from her family that loved him and gave him an identity outside of the Weasley clan. So many people had been taken from Harry and he had been hurt so many times that she couldn't see denying him any request that he made of her.

And, now that she had the memories from their night alone, Ginny thought that she could make it to their wedding night. It wasn't going to be easy, that was for sure, but for him, she would try.

She kept meaning to write to Harry to ease his mind, but every time she began a letter, another assignment would come, or she would have to read 400 pages in 2 days, or Quidditch practice ran late, and they were doubling up on practices as well. Ginny was exhausted at the end of the day and just had no energy left in her to write to him; and to top it off, it felt like she was coming down with a flu that was going around the school. She was not in top form.

Finally, two weeks later, Ginny woke early, walked downstairs and sat on the couch by the fire. She tried desperately to get a couple of more hours of sleep, but it eluded her. She pulled out a bit of parchment from her backpack and began her letter.


	3. November

**NOVEMBER**

_**2 November**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**I'm so sorry it's taken me forever to write you back. School has been very hectic lately, and I think I'm getting sick op top of everything. I think poor Hermione is about to lose her mind with all of her assignments and schoolwork! It's really been beyond belief.**_

_**That being said, have I told you lately how incredible you are? I completely understand the way you feel, and I guess I do agree with you. It's sweet of you to be concerned about my parents, and I do see your point. I feel bad now because to be honest, they never entered my mind when I made the decision to be with you. Thank you for always doing the proper thing, I can count on you even when I can't count on myself.**_

_**It's strange, but I think that it will be much easier to wait until our wedding now that I know what to expect, does that make any sense? I think the anticipation was killing me! Now, I can dream up tons of new ways to love you. I'd do anything to see that incredible look on your face again. And, I get to remember, too, the feel of you, and that will sustain my dreams until August, I hope. My imagination is going into overdrive, so maybe I need to change the subject for a while…**_

_**Quidditch practice has been an upward turn since you were here. I really appreciate you working with the team for a while; it really meant a lot to them and to me. It was fun being up on our brooms together again, wasn't it? We have our first match against Hufflepuff on November 17 at 11AM. It would be great if you could make it, but I do understand your crazy schedule, and your training does absolutely come first.**_

_**I love you, I am yours forever.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Gin**_

Harry sat back with a sigh, still holding Ginny's letter in his hand. He wasn't sure that he agreed with her about it being easier now to wait until their wedding night to be together again. His dreams of her since their night together have been much more explicit than they had ever been. Now he could picture perfectly the parts of her that he could only imagine before. There were many nights that his dreams of Ginny had actually woken Harry up, drenched in sweat and having to take a few minutes to get his breathing back to a normal rate. He wished that he could blame the sweat and panting on a nightmare, but these dreams were anything but!

One morning he woke up in a cold sweat, his orgasm still pumping out of his still hard dick. In his dream, he had been spanking Ginny. Spanking! Jesus, he was a sick sod. He shook his head and laughed, wondering how she would feel about _that_ dream. Maybe he'd ask her… He cast the scourgify charm on himself and went back to sleep.

He had no idea how he was going to make it to the wedding.

Just as Mrs. Weasley asked him to, Harry worked on his portion of the wedding guest list for a while. He had come up with a dozen names, many of whom, he was sure, would be duplicates from Ginny's list. There wasn't anyone else that he could think of that he wanted at his wedding. For a fleeting moment he considered the Dursley's, but decided that he wanted his wedding day filled with joy, and they didn't factor into that at all for Harry. It bothered him a little that he was still not ready to forgive them. He would have to work on that soon.

He rolled the parchment with his list and tied it to Hiro's leg and let him go through the window. He stared at the small owl heading towards the Burrow until he was out of sight, and then he walked back to the chair and flipped on the TV. He wanted to do something mindless for a while; he was suddenly exhausted.

Meanwhile, Ginny was pushing her team harder than ever. She was teaching them as many defensive moves as she could first, and then wanted to concentrate on offensive. If she could just catch the snitch quickly for the first couple of games and give them a chance to get the feel of a real game, they might have a chance to be a great team. She called for double practices in the two weeks leading up to their first match.

Unfortunately, this meant that she was stretching herself very thin. She was racing through her assignments for her classes, glad if she was able to turn in anything, no matter how mediocre it might be. Studying was a lost cause. She could be found in the Common Room until midnight at least most nights, trying to catch up on assignments. She never had time to hang out with her friends anymore, and she was becoming very moody which worried everyone.

On top of it all, Ginny wasn't feeling well. Her stomach did somersaults all morning long, and she was always so tired. She really didn't have time right now to get sick, and being as stubborn as she was, she refused to let her body buckle to the flu. She had too much to do.

Harry pulled Ron aside one day after training, as they were making their way down to the atrium. "Ron, I wanted to talk to you a minute. I know that you know about Ginny and I being together in October," Harry paused as Ron scowled and looked down at the floor, "but I want you to know that she and I talked about it, and we're not going to let it happen again until after the wedding. I wanted you to know so that you don't make her uncomfortable when she comes home."

Ron sighed and looked into Harry's eyes. "Harry, I know that I shouldn't be angry, I mean, who am I to judge, right? It's just this baby sister thing that I can't get over. It's rough accepting that she's really an adult and can make her own decisions. But, I've always been protective of her, so it's hard to let that go. I'm sorry about the way I treated you after I found out, and I guess I owe her an apology as well."

Harry was stunned. Ron had actually apologized? This had to be a first. "It's Okay, Ron. I can't say that I get it, not having any siblings of my own, but I'm glad that your relationship with Ginny won't be weird because of this."

"Nah, no way, I wouldn't let it. It was bad enough when she was mad at me about Hermione's birthday. It took forever to get her to forgive me for that. You two are on your own with this."

Harry smiled. He didn't realize how anxious he was for Ron's reaction until he talked with him. Harry's shoulders relaxed, and he and Ron joked around for the first time in a long while. They headed to the Burrow together for dinner.

Mrs. Weasley immediately barraged Harry with questions about the wedding. She was so excited about it she could hardly talk of anything else. She questioned Harry about his part of the guest list, and asked as gently as she could about the Dursley's. Harry explained why he didn't want them there.

"I just want to be happy that day, Mrs. Weasley. I want to focus on Ginny, and not have to worry about the Dursley's. My wedding day isn't for them, it's for Ginny and me."

"It's alright, Harry, I see now." He nodded his head and cast down his eyes. She came around and put her arms around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze.

After dinner, the four of them sat by the fire, and Mrs. Weasley put everyone to work making the favors for the wedding. After about three minutes, Ron had enough and went up to his room, making Harry laugh at the expression on his face. Harry, however, was perfectly content to stay a while with the Weasley's and make a contribution, however small, to his wedding.

Mrs. Weasley talked endlessly about the food and the music and the decorations. Harry was glad that they were going to have a tent and marquee just as Bill and Fleur had - he thought that the backyard looked beautiful last year. Mr. Weasley gave Harry a knowing look and rolled his eyes as his wife entered the second hour of wedding talk.

Harry talked about how Ginny wanted cream and bronze for the wedding colors, at which Mrs. Weasley screamed, jumped up and began showing Harry all of the different swatches of color that they had to choose from. At her insistence, Harry marked the four that he liked the most, thinking to himself that Mrs. Weasley had lost her mind a bit, because Ginny was just going to pick the ones that she liked best anyway.

After two and a half hours of talking about the wedding and tying bronze ribbons around the favors, Harry finally got up and bid them both good night. Mrs. Weasley flew into his arms and gave him one of her famous bone-crushing hugs, and Harry shook hands with Mr. Weasley and smiled, and was gone with a loud "pop."

That night, Harry sat against his headboard and wrote to Ginny.

_**8 November**_

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**Thank you for understanding about waiting. I really do think it's the best thing, and now at least I can look your Dad in the eye and not feel embarrassed or guilty (well, any more than I am already, I mean). I explained everything to Ron, and he gets it, too, I think. He is probably a bit relieved, I'm sure that he doesn't like to think of his baby sister in that situation. I am going to try and keep my promise, but you have to help me!**_

_**Flying with you again was so great! It was amazing to be back up on the broomstick again. I'd forgotten how much I love it. Your team is shaping up nicely. I think you're going to be fine against Hufflepuff. I am going to do my best to make your match, and Ron says that he will come as well, if possible. **_

_**I heard from Neville, and he's having a great time studying herbology in Scotland. He's joined a scientific team from England that is spending a year traveling throughout Europe studying different plants and trying to find their unique medicinal uses. It sounds like he's really found his passion, and I'm very glad for him. He was severely underestimated while we were at school, and I think that he's going to outshine all of us one day. He also said that he's been keeping in touch with Luna quite a bit (interesting pair, huh)?**_

_**Training is still going well, and I have a bit more free time since my studying time has been nearly cut in half. I'm glad the NEWTs are over, and I can concentrate on training. Ron is a natural at curse breaking. He hasn't come across one that he can't get through given a little time to concentrate. **_

_**I just spent a great night with your family. Your Mum had me and your Dad tying ribbons around the favors, but we had a few laughs about it. She already has swatches of fabrics for you to choose from in your favorite shades, so be prepared!**_

_**Write soon, love. I miss you.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Harry**_

Instead of feeling better by now, Ginny could hardly get out of bed. This flu was making her feel miserable. The only thing that was helping was that Hermione was stuck in bed as well and they could commiserate together. Their symptoms were very different, though. Ginny's flu was all in her stomach, and Hermione's was all in her head. Poor Hermione couldn't stop sneezing and her nose was constantly running, while Ginny spent nearly every minute in a fetal position in her bed, not wanting to move in case the nausea found her again.

She was keeping a sick pan by her bed and, unfortunately, had used it often. She was getting very good at using the scourgify charm, though. Their housemates were bringing them their assignments so that they could keep up with the class work, which pleased Hermione. Ginny couldn't concentrate on work, however. She had yet to unfurl herself from her ball to be able to read or write anything.

After her tenth sneeze in two minutes, Hermione rolled her head back onto her pillow and sighed deeply. "Oh, I am so exhausted. Are you feeling any better, Gin?"

Ginny tried to roll over gently and cringed with the effort. "Not really, my stomach is killing me, and I'm so tired. The team is going to kill me if I don't get out of this bed soon and make it down to the Quidditch pitch. I just can't seem to make the effort yet."

"You can't push yourself or it'll take that much longer to feel well," said Hermione. "I think that I'm going to try going back to class tomorrow, though."

Ginny nodded, but was too tired to continue talking. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but it just wouldn't come.

The next morning, Madame Pomfrey came to see them in their dormitory. She deemed that Hermione wasn't contagious anymore and allowed her to attend class today if she promised to see her right after the final bell.

"Of course, thank you, Madame Pomfrey." Hermione grabbed an enormous box of tissues and her overloaded book bag and headed towards the door. "I hope you feel better, Gin."

"Thanks see you later," Ginny said. Madame Pomfrey approached Ginny's bed carefully.

"I would like you to come down to the hospital wing with me today, Miss Weasley. I'm worried that you're not feeling better by now."

"I'm OK, really. I'm just so tired. I think I'm just weak because I haven't been able to keep anything down for a while."

"Just the same, I would feel better if I could keep my eye on you more thoroughly."

"I promise that if I don't feel better by the end of the week, I'll come and see you," said Ginny.

The Healer looked unsure but said "Alright. I'll be back later today to check on you." She looked back as she headed to the door and glanced at Ginny worriedly, a frown line crossing her forehead.

Ginny spent the remainder of the morning sleeping fitfully, and by the early afternoon, she was able to sit up and work on her assignments a little. It cheered her immeasurably when Hiro tapped on her window around 4PM, announcing the arrival of Harry's latest news. She was surprised to see not only a small roll of parchment, but also a small box tied to Hiro's leg. She let the owl in quickly and untied his parcels as fast as her shaking hands would let her. She threw the owl a few treats and stroked him absentmindedly as she placed the box on her bed.

She unrolled the parchment first.

_**11 November**_

_**Gin:**_

_**Sorry to hear you're not feeling well. I hope that by now you're better. Here's a little something to improve your spirits. See you soon.**_

_**I love you,**_

_**Harry**_

She took the small box and untied it, too. Inside were Pepperup Potion, and dozens of her favorite chocolates from Diagon Alley. Once the aroma of the chocolate met her nose, however, Ginny dived for the sick pan under her bed and heaved.

Once she was feeling better, and scourgified the pan, she sat back on her bed and closed her eyes. An hour later, she woke and felt better. Her stomach had settled a little, and she nibbled on the biscuits that the house elves had sent up for her. She sipped the tea as well, and let it warm her up. She took some parchment from her drawer and began to write to Harry. That always made her feel better.

_**13 November**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**Thank you so much for the treats! I've been feeling a bit peaky and haven't been sleeping well, so your gifts were very thoughtful. It hasn't gotten much better yet, but I am hopeful that it will be soon. I think that the stress from all of the homework that I've had, plus double Quidditch practices have been finally catching up with me. I'm so busy, and so tired.**_

_**Have I told you about the elective that I'm taking with Madame Pomfrey? Magical Maladies and Cures, and I really love it, Harry, and am thinking about becoming a Healer after school is done. I've talked about it with Madame Pomfrey, and she is very excited for me, and thinks that I would be excellent in the field. I have the class' high marks (or had before I've been sick!) and find myself looking forward to the lecture and lab every week. Madame Pomfrey is trying to work out an internship for me at St. Mungo's that would start next term. It would be a fantastic break for me, and it would help me to decide if this is really what I want to do. So, keep your fingers crossed for me!**_

_**Mum has finally let up on the owls since so many of the wedding decisions have been made. I'm glad; it was very hard to focus on so many things at once. Mum, Hermione and I are going dress hunting over Christmas break, and that should be pretty much it until I'm done with school. Is Dad looking better? Haha, I hope so.**_

_**I'm glad Ron is doing well in the training, and that he didn't give you a hard time about October. Alright, love, I'll leave you now. Hopefully I will see you at the match, but I understand if you can't be here.**_

_**I love you,**_

_**Ginny**_

But Harry was there. Bright and early on Saturday morning, before Ginny even had a chance to wake, Harry was at Hogwarts once again. He had arranged for Hermione to meet him outside the gates so that he could surprise Ginny. He hurried Hermione as much as he was able, he was so anxious to see Gin again.

"How is she feeling, Hermione? I've been so worried."

"She's a bit better in the afternoons than she is in the morning. She's gone back to classes and is catching up on her assignments, so that's a good thing."

"Hmm," said Harry, a furrow deepening between his eyes. Ginny hadn't told him the extent of her illness.

Hermione let him go up to the dorms alone. He opened the door carefully, trying not to make a sound. He peeked his head around the door, and he saw her. She was still sleeping, so he made his way across the floor as quietly as he could, and for a moment, he just stood there looking at her, smiling. She was beautiful.

He could tell right away that she wasn't feeling great. Her hair was knotted like she had been restless in her sleep, and her covers had been thrown off of her as if her body had been overheated in the night. He walked to her side and felt her forehead, but she didn't seem to have a fever. He tried to ignore the skimpy tank top and boy shorts that she had worn to bed, but not doing a very good job. He took a deep breath and looked at her face.

He sat down gently on her bed, and took her hand. He brought her fingers to his lips, and she smiled unconsciously. She turned instinctively towards Harry and curled her fingers around his hand. He smiled as he stroked her fingers with his lips, and she finally opened her eyes.

She smiled and closed her eyes again. She whispered, "…dreaming…"

Harry laughed out loud. "Gin, you're not dreaming, open your eyes."

She creased her eyebrows and turned her head back to him and opened her eyes slowly. "You're really here?"

"Yes."

"Oh, my God!" And she was instantly in his arms. But, that was a big mistake. The sudden movement had her stomach in her throat in an instant. She tore herself from Harry's arms, and leaned across the other side of her bed reaching for her sick pan. Harry held her hair and rubbed her back as she retched into the pan, a look of intense concern crossed his face.

She sat back against her pillows. "Scourgify" she said, taking aim at the pan. She looked at Harry, taking a sip of water and she tried to smile.

"Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?" Harry asked.

"I didn't want you to worry. This is the worst time for me; I usually get better as the day goes on. Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Yeah, you like fine." The look of concern never left Harry's face.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Ginny said trying to change the subject.

"Me, too. I couldn't wait any longer to see you," said Harry, taking her in his arms gently.

"I'm glad." She leaned back, took Harry's hand and kissed it. "How long can you stay?"

"Just until this afternoon. I have a project due on Monday, and I need to work on it for the rest of the weekend."

"We have all day, then!" Ginny said, seeing the bright side. "Have you eaten?"

"No, I got up, showered and came here," said Harry.

"Speaking of showering, would you mind if I?"

"Of course not, I'll wait for you in the Common Room. And put on something decent, you're driving me crazy." Harry laughed as he got up and crossed the room.

Ginny laughed with him, then said, "Harry?"

"Yeah," he replied, turning to face her.

"Thank you for coming. I love you."

"I love you, too, Gin. Hurry," said Harry.

She smiled and nodded, turning to get her shower things. She stood under the warm spray and thought of Harry, not quite believing that he was really here. She washed her hair and body, hoping that they would get a minute alone as she ran the bar of soap over her breasts, remembering the feel of his hands there. She shaved her legs quickly and made fast work of her morning routine so that she could return to Harry.

Ginny held on to Harry's left hand as he ate with his right. She didn't want to let him go for a minute. She stroked his arm and leg, occasionally reaching up to kiss his cheek.

Harry ate not only his fair share of breakfast, but Ginny's as well. She picked at her food, and Harry noticed that she just shifted things around on her plate, not really eating much at all.

"Gin, please eat something. You have me seriously worried."

"Not right now, Harry. I promise that I will eat at dinner. I can't stand the smell of any of this right now."

He frowned, but she said, "Please don't worry, this is an everyday thing for me now. I'm already feeling much better."

He walked her down to the changing room at the pitch, kissed her and wished her luck. Then, Harry went to find Ron and Hermione in the stands.

"Hi," said Harry, as he found them and sat down. "Hermione what's going on with her, she looks horrible."

"I know," she said. "Madame Pomfrey is looking after her, though, Harry, so you really don't have to worry so much. I'm just scared that she's never going to catch up on her assignments, they've been piling up lately."

Harry scowled, then turned at the roar of the crowd behind them, and saw that the Gryffindor team had just entered the pitch. Ginny did look beautiful, her ponytail whipping around her face, but Harry could tell even from here high up in the stands, that she wasn't herself. "She looks so tired," he said to no one in particular. He didn't even notice when Luna joined them in the stands, supporting Gryffindor. Harry was too wrapped up in Ginny and no matter what Hermione said he was so worried about her.

His eyes never left her as the whistle blew and the teams kicked off into the air. He saw Ginny's face grimace as she shot up into the air, and he knew that she was feeling nauseous again. He hoped that she could hold it together for the match. She would never forgive herself if she failed her team.

A determined look stole across Ginny's face, almost daring her stomach to give her problems, and Harry had to smile; he knew that look very well. She flew at top speed around the pitch twice, and then settled in high above them to search for the snitch.

On her broom, Ginny was praying to end this match quickly. She knew that if she wanted to keep this bile down, she would need to focus. She saw the Gryffindor keeper make a spectacular save, and she smiled.

She tried to concentrate and not throw up at the same time. A flash of gold caught her eye, and without thinking, she shot forward on her broom as fast as it would carry her. She was heading right towards the Gryffindor stands, but kept flying at an unbelievable pace. Harry saw her shoot towards him and gasped out loud. She looked like she was going to crash into the stands, and Harry's heart was in his chest as she barreled towards them. He caught sight of the snitch then, and it abruptly changed direction and was rapidly descending towards the pitch now. Ginny nosed her broom down and didn't miss a beat changing direction. She reached her hand forward and closed it around the snitch, pulling up on her broom at the same time. She missed hitting the pitch face-first by 12 inches. As it was, she was thrown from her broom hard, and skidded ten feet before her body came to rest near the Gryffindor goal posts.

Harry was out of the stands and running to her side before her body had even stopped sliding. Her team was surrounding her when Harry finally made it to her. She was getting up on her feet slowly, and Harry took her in his arms.

"Are you alright?" he asked anxiously.

"Yeah, I think so," she said quietly. "Can you just help me up to the dorms?"

"Of course," Harry started up the hill towards the castle, and was met halfway by Madame Pomfrey. But, by then Ginny was able to walk by herself.

"Miss Weasley! I saw your fall from the castle. Are you alright?" Madame Pomfrey asked, fawning over Ginny.

"Yes, I'm fine. I think I just had the wind knocked out of me for a minute. I'm really fine," Ginny responded.

"Alright, well, come and see me if you feel you need to later."

"Of course, thank you, Madame Pomfrey," said Ginny. She leaned into Harry's side, more for comfort than for support, and nuzzled into his neck. She peppered light kisses along his jaw line, and he stopped and turned into her, kissing her deeply.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine now, and I love you," Ginny answered. Harry nodded and smiled, and they continued up to the dormitory. Once they entered through the portrait hole, and huge cheer was sent up from the whole of Gryffindor Tower. Everyone was there to help the team celebrate their victory.

Ginny and Harry smiled and they joined in the festivities for about an hour, and then Ginny took Harry's hand and pulled him into the corridor.

"What is it, love?" asked Harry.

"This is great, but I don't want to waste the only time we have together with everyone else. Can we go down to our tree for a bit before you have to leave?"

He didn't answer, but took her hand and started down the stairway, out the front doors to their tree by the lake. He conjured a blanket, and he and Ginny were immediately in each others arms. She sighed contentedly, and closed her eyes.

"Now, this is perfect," Ginny said.

"You'll get no complaints from me," said Harry. After a minute of enjoying the sunshine, Harry opened his eyes and leaned down to look at Ginny. "I'm really worried about you, Gin."

"Please don't be, I'm feeling much better. Honestly, it's just when I first wake up. I can't stand the smell of anything until about noon, and then it evens out for the rest of the day. The only thing I can't shake is how tired I feel all the time."

"Are you hungry now?"

"A little bit, but there's no way that I'm moving from this spot until you have to go."

"I can take care of that," Harry said. Very softly, he said, "Winky." The elf appeared and Harry made his requests. Winky was gone and back before Harry and Ginny could blink. "Thank you, Winky," Harry said and the elf bowed and was gone with a pop.

The food was placed on their blanket, and Harry proceeded to cut pieces of pear and feed them to Ginny. She smiled and lay on her back, enjoying him taking care of her like this. They were lying in the sunshine and were both enjoying the warmth, Ginny still basking in the glow of their Quidditch victory.

She sat up and ate her sandwich and finished off the pumpkin juice, and Harry smiled at her. He was glad to see that she was eating and it didn't seem to be bothering her stomach.

When she was finished, Harry lay back, draping Ginny across his chest. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes, smiling once again. She, too, was smiling and closed her eyes. He bent his head and pressed his lips against hers. She moved up a little and deepened their kiss. Harry drew back and Ginny looked at him. He drew his wand and cast a disillusionment and a muffliato charm, and it would seem as if her and Ginny weren't even there if anyone passed them by.

"Mmm…perfect," she said as she went back to trailing her tongue along Harry's lips. She kissed his stubbly jaw and removed his glasses. She sat on top of Harry and removed his jumper, letting her hands run the length of his chest, down his ribs, to the top of his jeans. She swung off of his hips as he lifted his butt, allowing her to slip his jeans and boxers to his ankles and off his feet. "Beautiful."

"Hmm," he said, "Come here." She stretched out beside him, and Harry removed her clothes slowly, relishing each inch of skin that was uncovered. "Gin, we agreed, not all the way, right?" Harry asked her, looking into her eyes.

"No," she replied, pouting slightly as he smiled at her.

"Okay, then, we can still have a little fun," Harry said, moving between her thighs and resting on his elbows, kissing his way down her body. He kissed each thigh, inching his way up to her core. Ginny was writhing by the time he placed his first kiss on her center. She exhaled a sharp breath, and grabbed the blanket with both fists as Harry drew his fingers lazily up and down her slit, enrobing his fingers in her moisture. "So wet for me," he said.

"God, I want you, Harry, please…" she breathed. He spread her wet lips with the fingers of his left hand and used his right hand to make her scream. He entered her core with two fingers, and Ginny was immediately grinding down on his hand as hard as she could. With his thumb, Harry began to make slow, but hard circles around Ginny clit, eliciting from her a deep, guttural groan. He added a third finger to Ginny and pumped her hard as he removed his thumb from her clit, replacing it with his tongue. He stroked her over and over as she grabbed his hair between her hungry fingers, saying his name over and over.

"Harry, please turn around, please…" she begged and he turned his hips until his very hard dick was dripping right over Ginny's mouth. His lips never left her core until Ginny took him into her mouth and began to lick him. He released her then, and put his head down on her thighs for a second.

"God, Gin, you have no idea how good that feels," he muttered, gasping, plunging his fingers roughly back into her.

She murmured, "Mmm," and the vibration around his dick felt unbelievable. Harry began to plunge deeper and deeper into her mouth as she took in as much as she could, wrapping her hand around what she couldn't accommodate. She pumped her hands up and down, twisting his skin slightly as she came to the top, and licked the pre-cum that was dripping from him. "Mmm," she said again, "So delicious."

"Jesus," he gasped. "Gin, I can't, oh, God, now Gin, move!" But she didn't; she held Harry there and continued to suck him until he stopped pulsing into her mouth. He fucked her as hard as he could with his fingers, sucking greedily on her clit, biting it gently until Ginny, pulsed around his fingers and she cried out with the strength of her orgasm.

Harry collapsed to her side, breathing heavy as she came into his arms, wrapping herself as tightly as she could to his body.

"Holy shit," Harry said, kissing her, amazed to taste himself on her tongue. "That was fucking unreal."

She laughed out loud. "Harry! Nice one! I never heard you curse before."

"Well, get used to it if you keep doing that to me," he replied, looking into her eyes. "Fuck."

She smiled again and wriggled into his chest, his hand gently caressing her ass as she closed her eyes.

She fell asleep within minutes, and it was Harry's turn to admire Ginny as she slept. He bent his left arm under his head so that he had a better view of his beautiful fiancé and smiled.

Harry studied her face taking a mental inventory, just as unbeknownst to him, Ginny had done last time they were here. He brushed his fingers gently across her lips and she nuzzled deeper into his chest, letting out a contented sigh. He drew his fingers through her hair, brushing it away from her face at the same time. He lay there with Ginny in his arms, staring at her face and without even realizing it, tears slid from the corner of his eye. He was incredibly lucky and he knew it with every fiber of his being.

Reluctantly, he woke her gently an hour later, and told her that he had to go. Ginny pulled him to her tighter for a minute, and then stood up slowly. "I hate this part," she said.

"Me, too," Harry said. "But, it's worth it since I got to see you." They dressed quietly, Harry removing the charms that he had placed around them. They walked back to the castle together hand in hand, and went straight to McGonagall's office. Harry had asked her earlier in the day if he could floo home from her office. Ron met them there a moment later.

Harry took Ginny in his arms and kissed her hair. "I love you, please feel better soon."

"I already am," she said, giving him a knowing smile. "I love you." He threw the floo powder in the grate and yelled 'Grimmauld Place', and she just closed her eyes. Ron left for the Burrow a moment later. Ginny hurried from McGonagall's office because she felt like the tears that were threatening in her eyes were about to spill over.

By the time she got back to her dorm, the tears were flowing in earnest. She flopped across her bed and cried until she was spent. She fell asleep then, and only woke hours later when Hermione came looking for her.

Harry landed back in Grimmauld Place instantly, and he began to collect the books and materials that he would need to complete his Ministry project by Monday. He threw everything onto the table in the library and lit the fireplace. He went to the kitchen to get himself some juice, and returned to the library ready to begin. He worked for about an hour, and then glanced up into the flames. He sat back in his chair and thought of Ginny, the flames reminding Harry of her beautiful hair. He was lost in his thoughts of her for the next 30 minutes, the smile never leaving his face.

Two nights later, he was back at the same table with a quill in his hand, writing to his favorite redhead.

_**19 November**_

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**How are you? I've been so worried about you since Ron and I left on Saturday. You did not look well at all (still beautiful to me, though). You looked like you were ready to drop off to sleep at any minute. **_

_**Hermione was telling me that you haven't been sleeping well, and that your schoolwork has begun to slack off. Are you feeling any better yet?**_

_**I hate being so far away when you're ill, but I guess I wasn't much good at making you feel better on Saturday being there with you, either. You've gotten so thin; please tell me what I can do.**_

_**Congratulations, again, on the win over Hufflepuff, by the way. You did a great job getting the team ready, and you're fast capture of the snitch was just what they needed to lift their spirits.**_

_**I'm glad that we got some alone time, you are unbelievably amazing. Talk about not being able to concentrate – holy shit. I'm wanking myself raw thinking about you.**_

_**But, I am glad that you were able to rest a little afterwards. I miss you and I love you.**_

_**Please write Gin, and let me know if you need anything. **_

_**Always,**_

_**Harry**_

Two days later, Ginny refolded Harry's note and smiled. She was feeling a little better, thankfully. The mornings weren't as horrendous as they had been for her, and she was slowly climbing out from under the pile of assignments that had been building up. She did her best to concentrate during class, and was dedicating all of her free time to her school work.

She had cut Quidditch practices to twice a week, but encouraged her team to practice as much as they could together. The team understood her need to catch up on her assignments, and they were all glad that she was feeling better.

Twice a week when Ginny went in for class and lab, Madame Pomfrey would pull her aside and ask how she was feeling. Ginny always tried to put on a brave face, but she could not fool the long-time healer. Madame Pomfrey knew by Ginny's coloring that she was still not well, especially when she came in for labs, which was during the first period of the day.

At the end of lab one day late in November, Madame Pomfrey pulled her aside as all of the other students left the room. "Miss Weasley, I need you to come in after the last period today, please."

"Why, Madame Pomfrey?" asked Ginny. Suddenly, Ginny was petrified that the healer could see right through her, and she was mortified.

"You are still not yourself, and it's been over a month since you first got sick. I am going to run some tests to make sure that you don't have a virus."

"Really, it's not necessary. I'm feeling much better," answered Ginny.

"I'm not taking no for an answer this time, Miss Weasley, so there is really no use arguing."

"Alright," said Ginny, resigned to the fact. "I'll be here about 4?"

"That would be fine, thank you," said the healer.

Ginny sighed and left the room, heading towards Transfiguration.

With much hesitation, Ginny slowly opened the door to the hospital wing at 4PM. Madame Pomfrey was already waiting for her, and ushered her into the back room and shut the door.

"The tests will be very fast, Miss Weasley, we'll have you out of here shortly. Before we begin, though, do you have any inkling what this might be? Anything that you think I should be checking for?"

Ginny looked down, unable to meet the Healer's eyes. Ginny told her as her cheeks flamed, about the night that she had spent with Harry in October and her suspicions. Madame Pomfrey to her credit, didn't give Ginny a lecture about safe sex, but went about the tests quickly. Ginny had the results within thirty minutes.

At 5PM, Ginny was heading back to Gryffindor Tower after leaving Madame Pomfrey, a complete look of shock and bewilderment on her face. She didn't even notice a group of sixth years as they greeted her on their way to the Great Hall; she just kept walking with her head down. She had to write to Harry, and do it now. The question was: would he ever want to see her again?

She flopped down on her bed, thankful that everyone in her dorm seemed to be at dinner for the moment, tried to wipe away the smile that kept creeping onto her face, and began to write…

_**28 November**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**I'm Okay, not sick, not really, and don't you dare tell my Mum! Please sit down and have an open mind about what I'm going to tell you. I didn't want to say anything before I was sure, and Madame Pomfrey confirmed it for me this afternoon. I'm pregnant, Harry.**_

_**Don't flip out on me, please! I need you to be calm and rational! I'm terrified, but at the same time quite excited, really. We never talked about kids, so I am only guessing as to how you're reacting to this right now. I'm sorry to tell you in a letter, I would love to be holding you and seeing your face right now.**_

_**I'm six weeks along right now. Can you believe that? I'm sorry, Harry, I know that I shouldn't be smiling right now, but I can't seem to help it. I just think about your baby growing inside me and I smile! My hand has been constantly flying to my belly for the past hour since I found out, in a protective gesture, I'm guessing. I am already so in love with your child.**_

_**Please calm down and write to me when you're being reasonable again. I love you so much.**_

_**Ginny**_


	4. December

**DECEMBER**

Harry apparated back to Grimmauld Place after the longest day that he ever spent at the Ministry. It had been brutal. The trainees had the first part of their end of term exams today and they had been exhausting. The Ministry decided that they should sit their written portion all in one day (today) and the practical exam portion would be tomorrow. He was glad that tomorrow would be his last day for a month; he desperately needed a rest. Harry collapsed into the chair nearest the fireplace and closed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to just relax for a bit before heading upstairs to soak in the bathtub.

Kreacher brought him a bit of dinner as Harry sat in his chair, and he thanked him.

"Master has had a letter from Miss Weasley today."

"Okay, thanks. I'll bring it upstairs with me. Good night, Kreacher."

"Good night, Master Harry."

Harry grabbed the tray with his dinner and the letter from Ginny and headed up the stairs to his bedroom. He put the tray on his desk, kicked off his shoes, socks and robes. He took the letter and a sandwich from the tray, and headed to the bathroom. While the hot water ran in the tub, Harry finished off his sandwich, then submerged himself in the water and visibly relaxed. He closed his eyes and nearly fell asleep, the scalding water felt so good.

After relaxing for a few minutes, he wiped his hands dry, and grabbed Ginny's letter. Unfurling it slowly, he got through the first sentence and was glad to hear that she was feeling better, and that she wasn't sick any longer. It was the second sentence that made his shoulders tense up again. He didn't like it when she had to tell him to have an open mind – nothing good ever followed that statement. She immediately had his attention, and he kept reading.

Despite the hot water, a fierce chill ran down Harry's body when he finished the first paragraph. Pregnant?! Ginny was pregnant?! Two emotions were fighting for dominance in Harry's mind: joy about Ginny carrying his child, and apprehension that her Dad was going to kill him. But, for right now, joy was definitely winning.

He couldn't fight the smile that spread across his face, and the chill that had run through his body a moment ago was all but forgotten. It had been quickly replaced with a warmth that he had never felt before.

'A family' he thought, and let out a very contented sigh. He was going to have a family with the love of his life, and although the timing wasn't perfect, that didn't diminish his absolute joy about the situation. Harry calmed down as much as he could, and read through the rest of Ginny's letter, wanting to know now more than ever if she was alright. Was she happy about this or freaking out?

'_**I'm terrified, but at the same time quite excited, really …….. I am already so in love with your child……. I know that I shouldn't be smiling right now, but I can't seem to help it………'**_

He finished her letter with tears in his eyes. She was happy…she was in love with his child, that's what she had said! His child…his baby was growing inside Ginny at this very moment, he couldn't believe it. She was six weeks pregnant already, no wonder she had been feeling so ill. He wished that he had known when he was there two weeks ago; he would have loved to celebrate with her.

He was going to be a Daddy. Harry Potter, a father…

It didn't take him long to let the water out of the tub, dry himself off and collapse onto his bed. He lay there all night with a smile on his face, dreaming even more than he usually did about his and Ginny's future. He could see their child perfectly in his mind. He hoped it would be a girl who looked just like Ginny, with long flaming red hair and her fiery personality to match. She would be beautiful, and loved beyond measure.

He was awake before the alarm clock had a chance to ring the next morning. He showered quickly, ate breakfast and was in Diagon Alley a few minutes before the stores opened. He walked down the alley, greeting friends and store owners as he went, and stopped at a small store on the edge of the lane. He had twenty minutes to shop and get to the Ministry before the practical portion of his exams began. But, he knew just what he wanted.

Four times throughout the day, Ron pulled Harry aside and asked him what was going on with him. Harry told him nothing, though. This was a beautiful secret just between him and Ginny for the moment. He could put off Ron's outrage indefinitely, though. Harry wasn't looking forward to that.

As soon as Harry came home that night, he took his dinner upstairs once again, and began his letter to Ginny.

Bright and early the next morning, Ginny was woken up by a light tapping on the window. She turned to find Helena hovering outside, and Ginny hurried to the window to let her in. The owl swooped in and landed on Ginny's bed, looking particularly tired. Ginny noticed a box had been tied to her leg along with a roll of parchment, and she smiled. Ginny figured that it was a good omen that Harry had sent her something; maybe he wasn't too mad at her. She hurried to untie the box and parchment, and stroked Helena's feathers for a few minutes, trying to put off the moment that she would have to read Harry's letter a little longer.

The owl nibbled the treats Ginny gave to her, nipped at Ginny's fingers affectionately, and flew from the dorm, heading towards the owlery. Ginny was glad that the rest of her dorm-mates were still asleep, she wanted a little privacy while she read this particular letter.

She laid the box next to her and with shaking hands, tried to unroll the parchment as quietly as possible. She took a sharp intake of breath as she read…

_**3 December**_

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**Are you alright? Is Madame Pomfrey taking care of you?**_

_**That being said, I love you so much. I can't believe this is happening! I'm going to be a Dad, and mostly all I can think about is that your father is going to kill me!**_

_**I won't lie, reading your letter, my heart nearly stopped. I think we're way too young and completely not ready, but I am so incredibly happy! I know what you mean about being terrified and thrilled at the same time. What are we going to do?! I dread telling your parents.**_

_**I have sent you something with Helena, I hope that package wasn't too much for her to carry. It's just a little thing to let you know I'm with you always. I wish I was there with you to rub your belly. I can't wait to see the tiny bump. I want so much to be there being the one taking care of you.**_

_**I'm very sorry that this happened right now, the timing stinks, but this baby will be so incredibly loved. I love it already. Shall we nickname it something? It doesn't feel right to keep calling the baby "it."**_

_**We have each other, we have a house and we have money, what else do we need? I love you with all of my heart, and thank you for making me a Daddy. Is it completely sappy that I'm tearing up right now?**_

_**Always,**_

_**Harry**_

She didn't realize that she was holding her breath until she came to the last word, and she exhaled sharply. Her hands were shaking so hard, and tears flowed freely from her eyes. She grabbed the letter and the box that came with it, shoved her feet into some slippers next to her bed, and headed down the stairs and out the portrait hole. She waited until she reached the front doors, before she let her emotions go.

She fell to the ground beneath their tree by the lake, and read his letter twice more. He loved her and he loved their baby! Ginny was unbelievably relieved. He was OK with this, thank God!

She wiped the tears from her eyes, and turned her attention to the small box sitting beside her. She unwrapped it carefully, and opened the top. Inside, on a bed of blue velvet was the most beautiful sterling silver baby rattle that Ginny had ever seen. It was about four inches long and shone brilliantly in the early morning sunshine. Ginny took it in her hands, a smile breaking across her face. Then she turned the rattle over. Harry had had it engraved for her. It simply said, "thank you" but that said it all, Ginny knew exactly what he meant. The goose bumps ran unchecked down Ginny's arms. It was beyond her comprehension how much she loved this man.

Ginny sat underneath their tree thinking of Harry and their baby until her teeth were chattering from the cold. She reluctantly got up and went back inside, her hand running over her still flat belly absentmindedly as she walked, the smile never leaving her face. Her day could not get any better. She tucked the rattle into the front compartment of her school bag. She felt better knowing that it would go with her wherever she went all day long.

_**5 December**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**Oh, my God, you don't know how relieved I was to get your letter. I had nightmares that you would be so angry. I'm glad that you're excited about it! Me, too, Harry, me, too.**_

_**It's not sappy at all that you were tearing up; I do it all the time now. Thank you so much for the tiny silver rattle! That was the sweetest thing I've ever seen. I carry it around with me wherever I go and look at it constantly. I absolutely love it. You are going to spoil this child rotten, aren't you? The first gift of many, I'm guessing – but I love it! **_

_**The timing should work out, I think. I finish school in May and the baby will be born in July, just like his Daddy. I will probably still be fat for our wedding, but who cares, right?! We'll take it with us on our honeymoon (our first family vacation – haha).**_

_**Yes, I think a nickname would be a good idea. How about puker, since that's all I did for the past six weeks. I've lost so much weight, but I won't be thin for long! How about something random like "pea," (because that's about the size of it right now, too) what do you think? Something cute and funny, and people will have no idea what we're talking about.**_

_**Yes, I see Madame Pomfrey regularly, and for now she has agreed not to tell anyone about this. She is leaving it to me to talk with Professor McGonagall (it's still so strange to call her "Headmistress") when I'm ready. I think that I'll wait until after Christmas break, so that I can tell my parents first. Madame Pomfrey has given me vitamins to take, and has also given me a potion to control the morning sickness, thank goodness. I am feeling much more like myself, and have gotten back to task with my classes, so you can tell Hermione to stop tattling on me.**_

_**So far so good. I love having this delicious little secret for now, Harry. Just between you and me. **_

_**I'll see you in two weeks, Harry, I love you.**_

_**Gin**_

Ginny had arranged to meet with Madame Pomfrey once a week at night to make sure that everything was going smoothly. Ginny was feeling amazing now, no more morning sickness, and she definitely had "the glow" that everyone always talked about. Hermione quizzed her endlessly, but Ginny told her that she was just happy to be feeling better. Ginny didn't want to share this with anyone but Harry for now. She wanted to enjoy the happiness before she told her parents and they destroyed that.

If a father-to-be could have a "glow," too, Harry would have it. He went around all day long smiling. In the middle of reading a book, or watching TV, Harry's mind would drift to Ginny and their baby, and he would just _smile_. He couldn't help himself. In a year, Harry went from having nothing, to having a fiancé and a baby on the way. He shook his head in disbelief.

At the Burrow one day, Ron cornered Harry on the stairs as they made their way up to his room. "OK, mate, you have to tell me what's going on! You're driving me absolutely mad smiling all the time and with that sappy look on your face. It can't be that my sister is that good a kisser, so spill!"

Harry couldn't help but laugh at Ron. "It's nothing, really! I just can't believe how happy I am. This is a completely new experience for me, Ron, so can you just let me enjoy it for a while?" Harry smiled.

Ron squinted his eyes at Harry and did not look convinced. "I don't get it, Harry, but whatever, I guess."

Harry smiled as they continued walking. "Really, it's annoying," said Ron. Harry just laughed.

His thoughts were completely consumed with Ginny and their baby. He couldn't believe how quickly his life had changed.

He wrote to Gin that night, allowing himself to be caught up in her once again.

_**12 December**_

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**I've been thinking, how would you feel if we had a simple ceremony before pea is born? I don't want him/her being born without us being properly married. What do you think? We will absolutely have the wedding that your Mum is planning, and really, nobody has to know but us. I just want us to be Mr. and Mrs. when we fill out the birth certificate. **_

_**I can't believe how real pea is for me already. I've been running through the next few years in my mind thinking about him/her growing up and who pea will look like (I hope it's you, love). **_

_**Any bump yet? I'm glad that you're feeling better, Madame Pomfrey is a wonder. It feels like I spent more time in the hospital wing then I ever did in the dorm. Make sure she keeps you and pea healthy and safe.**_

_**Isn't it crazy that two weeks ago I didn't even know pea existed, and now I can't wait for him to get here? He's going to change everything, but in such a great way. What will you do about your career? I don't want you to feel like you have no options, so let's talk about it over Christmas, agreed?**_

_**Seven days until you're in my arms again, love! **_

_**I'll meet you at King's Cross.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Harry**_

_**16 December**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**I think a simple ceremony before pea is born is a good idea. I know how you feel about him being born before we're married, so yes, let's do it. Maybe early June? Nope, no bump yet – don't wish that on me too soon, love.**_

_**We had our second Quidditch match last weekend and we lost to Ravenclaw. It was really close, but the final score was 180 to 160. Their seeker and I were inches apart when his fingers closed over the snitch! I couldn't believe it. But, we're still in first place for now, with Slytherin in second and Ravenclaw in third, but we're all within 40 points of each other, so it's anyone's cup right now. We face Slytherin on January 21st.**_

_**These last two days before we leave for break are going to be excruciating! All of our professors are testing us on the semester's work, so everyone has been up late reviewing. I can't keep me eyes open anymore, so I've been studying in between naps! I'll get my semester grades the second week of break.**_

_**I'm glad that you're going to meet me at King's Cross. Three days! I just want to be with you so much, I want you to hold me as tight as possible!! I love you.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Gin**_

Her last final exam finished, Ginny spent her last night of term packing her trunk for home. She couldn't wait to get home tomorrow. She and Harry were going to have two uninterrupted weeks together before Harry had to return to Auror training, and she would be home until January 15th. She was very ready to get home and relax for a while.

She had spent a few minutes with Madame Pomfrey this afternoon, the Healer insisting on a final check up before Ginny's break. Everything was progressing nicely with pea, and she sent Ginny home with a vial of vitamins and urged her to take it easy for a while. Ginny was more than willing to take it easy, as long as Harry was with her.

She was so fidgety during the entire ride on the Hogwart's Express the following day. All she wanted to do was feel Harry's arms around her. It would be the first time that they would see each other since learning about pea, and Ginny couldn't wait. She kept glancing out the window, wishing for the train to hurry up.

Harry had spent the past two weeks enjoying his break. He read and shopped and visited the Burrow often. He couldn't wait for Ginny to get home; he always felt better when he knew she was near.

Harry and Ron made it to King's Cross with fifteen minutes to spare, according to Harry's watch. They both leaned against the wall between platforms 9 and 10 and gently fell through. In seconds, they were standing on the platform, with a throng of others waiting for the student's return.

Harry and Ron walked over to Neville who was speaking with Mr. Lovegood. The friends conversed easily until they saw the train making its way down the tracks, slowing its pace and finally exhaling a huge burst of steam as its engines shut down and quieted.

All of the doors to the compartments flew open, and the platform was immediately crowded with kids who were once again dressed in their muggle clothing. Harry scanned the crowd impatiently, hungry to see Ginny again.

Ginny opened the compartment door, and let Luna and Hermione exit first. "I'll be right there," she said to them as they left and nodded to her. Ginny wanted to separate herself from them for a bit. She wanted her first meeting with Harry to be a somewhat private moment; as private as it could be with hundreds of kids and their parents milling about.

As the crowd began to thin a little, Ginny stepped from the train, and immediately saw his face. He had been walking down the platform, looking into each compartment for her. He saw her step out, and was running towards her in an instant. He stopped when he got within two feet of her, and she just stared at him and smiled. He returned the smile, and advanced towards her slowly.

He took her gently in his arms and held her there for a minute before pulling away and kissing her on the lips. He looked down at her flat belly, and caressed it tenderly with his fingertips and smiled. He looked up into her eyes and what he saw there was a reflection of his own, he was sure. Ginny's eyes were filled with a deep tenderness, and tears were threatening to overflow.

They grinned at each other and began to laugh. "I love you so much, Gin," said Harry.

"We love you, too," she said in return, and Harry heart stopped at her comment. "We," he said softly, and she nodded. The smile that broke across his face was the most beautiful thing that Ginny had ever seen.

"You look great, I think pea is agreeing with you," Harry told her.

She smiled, "It sounds so nice when you say 'pea'," said Ginny.

"I missed you," he said as he handed her the flowers, and she gave him a kiss in return. "Thank you, they're beautiful."

They turned and started walking down the platform, Harry's arm wrapped tightly around Ginny's waist, levitating her trunk behind them. They met up with Ron and Hermione and Luna and Neville and talked for a bit before Harry apparated to the Burrow with Ginny, Ron and Hermione right behind them.

Dinner at the Burrow that night was a lot of fun for all of them. Mrs. Weasley was in her element, cooking for everyone. Mrs. Weasley was never happier then when she was surrounded by people that she could fuss over.

Harry and Ginny sat next to each other, and touched whenever possible, whether it was a simple touch on the leg, fingers glancing past each other, or several times when Harry couldn't resist her proximity, and pulled Ginny close to his side, burying a kiss in her hair. They were so happy together it was almost palpable and everyone that night could feel it. Thankfully, the others didn't know the depth of their joy.

For the next week, Harry and Ginny got into the Christmas spirit. They spent an entire day in London and Diagon Alley shopping for gifts for Ginny's family and their friends and by the 23rd, they were all finished. Harry attempted to help Ginny wrap all of the gifts, but gave up after he ruined the third package. After that, he resigned himself to handing Ginny strips of scotch tape as she folded and smoothed the paper.

They helped the Weasley's decorate the Burrow with Ron and Hermione, and then on the 24th, Ginny went to Grimmauld Place and decorated there with Harry alone. They spent all morning picking out the perfect tree, and then most of the rest of the day decorating it.

She loved that he bought tons of lights for the tree; they were Ginny's favorite part. The only disagreement they had was whether to finish the tree with tinsel or garland. Ginny won out and the tinsel looked beautiful. They finished his tree around 4:30PM, and pulled his couch in front of the tree and the fireplace, and they both sat in the darkness watching the beautiful lights flash and the ornaments sparkle. Kreacher brought sandwiches and mugs of hot cider for them, and retreated back to the kitchen.

"We'll get better ornaments next year," said Harry.

"They're perfect, Harry," said Ginny. "You know what? We can start collecting them from all of the places we visit."

"That's a good idea, we can remember every year when we pull them out where we've been."

Ginny sat back on the couch tucking her legs under her, and Harry folded her into his arms. She said, "It's going to be so different for us next year, huh?"

"Yeah, but it's going to be incredible. We'll have toys everywhere and wrapping paper wadded up in every corner. It'll be great!" said Harry, his eyes lighting up.

Ginny laughed out loud at his enthusiasm, trying to picture it in her mind as she looked around the room. "I guess we should enjoy the peace and quiet while we have it, huh?"

"We'll love the noise and chaos, too," said Harry.

"Yeah, we will," she agreed contentedly.

She lay down with her head in his lap, her head turned towards the tree, small smile on her lips. Harry ran his fingers through her hair, and with the other hand he stroked her stomach. "No bump yet, huh?"

"Nope, not yet," said Ginny, as she closed her eyes. A few minutes later, her breathing became deep and even.

He looked down at her beautiful face. "Gin, are you awake?" Harry asked softly. No reply came from her.

Harry said softly, "I want you to know that I will be the best Dad I can for our baby, Gin. I don't have a lot of experience being around good men, except for your Dad and a few months with Sirius, but I'm hoping it's in my genes. Somehow, I'll make it through, and I'll know you'll be there to help me. You're going to be a fantastic Mum. You're so naturally loving and nurturing. Our kid is going to be so lucky to have you. I love pea so much already, isn't it crazy? But, I'm so scared that I'm going to do something wrong." He paused and looked down at her again, "Don't ever leave me, Gin, I don't think I could take it. Now that I know how good life can be with you, I can't imagine living without you. I love you with everything I have and more than I can ever tell you."

He leaned his head back with a sigh, staring at the blinking tree lights.

Inside, Ginny was trembling; she heard everything that Harry said.

On Christmas, Harry spent the entire day at the Burrow with the Weasley's and Hermione. Bill and Fleur were there, as were Charlie and George. It was a large group, and Mrs. Weasley didn't stop smiling all day long. After lunch, all of them went into the orchard and played Quidditch for hours. They laughed constantly and had a fantastic day. It was unusually warm out and the sun was shining.

Harry and Ginny made everyone gag as they stopped repeatedly in the air to steal a kiss from each other. It didn't help matters that they weren't on the same team.

"See what I mean?" Ron said to anyone who would listen. "They're so annoying!" Everyone laughed, including Harry and Ginny as they headed back to the ground, Harry's team victorious. Only Hermione scowled at Ron, she thought he could take a few pointers from Harry and Ginny.

A few minutes before dinner was ready, Harry took Gin's hand and led her up to her room. They entered and he closed the door behind them.

"I want to give you your present," said Harry.

"OK, does it involve you getting naked?"

Harry laughed out loud. "Nope, not this time."

"Damn," said Ginny, smiling, too.

They sat on her bed and he handed her a small box wrapped in Santa paper. She smiled at his attempt at wrapping her gift; it was a mess, but she appreciated the effort.

She smiled as she took the delicate necklace from the case and held it in her hands. It was a small white gold open heart, with the profile of a father, mother and baby, the baby in its mother's arms within the heart. It was perfect.

"Harry," was all Ginny could manage to squeak out. She threw her arms around him and held him close. "I love it, it's beautiful; you, me and pea."

He nodded, and fastened it around her neck, hiding it for now beneath the collar of her shirt. "I'm glad you like it. There's something else, too." Harry handed her another small box, wrapped in the same sad wrapping.

"The necklace would have been enough!" She opened the gift. "Wow, Harry, it's so beautiful." Inside was a white gold ring with three stones, one perfect, round ruby set in the center flanked on either side by diamonds. It fit perfectly on her middle finger.

She leaned in and kissed him. She knew without him having to say it that this represented them as a family as well. Pea's birthstone will be a ruby. "You are unbelievable, so romantic and way too generous, but I really love it, thank you." She touched his cheek. "My gift for you isn't nearly as romantic," said Ginny.

"I love it already," said Harry and Ginny laughed. "What is it?"

Ginny went to her closet and pulled out four packages for Harry. "These are all for me?"

"Yup," said Ginny, sitting cross-legged on the bed facing Harry.

Harry smiled in return. "You're going to spoil me."

"I sincerely hope so."

When Harry was finished opening everything, he sat back and glanced at Ginny, overwhelmed by her generosity. In his pile of gifts was a new brown leather jacket, leather gloves, a beautiful first edition copy of Harry's favorite book and a very soft, fine gauge cashmere scarf.

"I can't believe you did all this. I love them all!"

Ginny smiled, "I'm glad. It's worth it to see the look on your face."

"I love them, thank you," said Harry, leaning in for a kiss. "If I knew you were going to go crazy, I would have been glad to lavish you with many more gifts."

"No, what you got for me is perfect, it's all I want."

"Dinner!!" They heard Mrs. Weasley call from the kitchen, and they both sighed, wanting to be alone for the moment. Harry stood and pulled Ginny up from the bed and into his arms. "Thank you for pea. That's the most perfect gift of all."

Ginny pulled him closer still, and then released him and they walked down to dinner together.

For the next week, Harry and Ginny spent nearly every waking hour together, and mostly at Grimmauld Place. Ginny would shower and have breakfast, and then make a quick departure for Harry's place. They would watch movies or take long walks through London talking about pea and the wedding, but whatever they were doing, they were never far from the other. Harry wanted Ginny to rest and he wanted to keep his eye on her.

They took down the decorations on New Year's Eve, and Ginny was sorry to see them go. She just kept thinking about how different Christmas here next year was going to be. She could envision it all, the baby would be five months old by then, and would be surrounded by anything Harry could get his hands on to buy for him/her.

"Here's to an exciting New Year, love," Harry said as he toasted her.

She smiled and kissed Harry. "It's going to be amazing, isn't it?"

He nodded, putting down their glasses, taking Ginny's hand and leading her up to his bedroom. "We're so lucky, Gin," he said softly, looking at her over his shoulder as they ascended the stairs, she walking behind him.

She smiled again, "I know, Harry." She released his hands, and rubbed his ass as he walked up the stairs. He laughed at her, and started shaking his butt from side to side, making her giggle as well. She pulled on the belt loops of his jeans, making him stop on the top stair and turn to her. She was at the perfect height, two stairs down from where he was, facing his crotch. She pulled him down, forcing him to sit and made quick work of removing his jeans and boxers. He kicked them off, laughing at the fact that he was still wearing his socks.

She didn't bother removing his jumper, it would not get in the way of what she wanted. She ran her hands up under his sweater, feeling the hard muscles of Harry's chest, and his soft hair. She followed the trail of dark hair that began at his belly button with her tongue. Harry leaned back on his elbows and watched her intently, feeling his dick getting harder the further south she went.

She snaked her tongue in and out of his hair, making her way lower and lower, grinning to herself when she felt Harry hardening next to her face. She pressed her cheek against his shaft, rubbing it from the base to the tip, making Harry groan in appreciation.

"I love when you get hard just thinking about what I'm going to do to you," she whispered, looking up into Harry's eyes. He smirked, his eyes blazing into hers.

"Tell me what you're gonna do," he said. She turned to face his dick and wet her lips.

"Hmm…first, I think…I'll wrap my hands around you and feel your smooth skin. I'll rub my thumbs around your head and spread all of that lovely, slick cum all around you. Then, I'll take my time licking you up and down, I'll suck your balls into my mouth and then maybe I'll lick your ass."

Harry stared at her open-mouthed and said "Fuck, Gin." She looked up into his eyes then.

"Oh, you think you'll like that?" she asked, playing innocent.

"Christ, yeah, fuck." She grinned.

"Would you like me to get started?"

"Please…!" he groaned. "Yes…please…" She licked her lips again, and wrapped her hands around Harry's cock.

"Mmm… this is what I wanted, I knew it wouldn't take long, baby," she said, running her thumbs around his head, collecting his cum and spreading it down his shaft, moaning her approval all the while. "Jesus, you're gonna taste so good." She flicked her tongue out and tasted just his tip, causing him to jump a little and she stifled a smile.

She ran her tongue up and down his long shaft, flicking it in and out, moving from side to side, over and under. Harry started to twitch and thrust his hips up, but she held him steady. "Patience, baby," she said.

She dipped her head lower and sucked both of his balls into her mouth, rolling them back and forth, enjoying the feeling of his hair in her mouth. She groaned, letting Harry know that she was enjoying this just as much as he was. Harry fisted her hair around his hands and whispered her name over and over. She knew that she would never get tired of him saying her name like that.

She released him with a pop and wrapped her hand around his cock, stroking it gently then laying it on his belly where it twitched and pulsed on it's own. She lifted his balls and he moaned, spreading his legs a little more for her, knowing where she was heading next.

"Mmm.." she groaned and she flicked out her tongue lightly touching the pucker of his ass. He clenched involuntarily, and she grinned again. "Relax, baby, it's just me."

Harry exhaled and tried to do as she said, letting his ass rest back down on the step. "Jesus," he said, closing his eyes for the first time since she started. She smiled and flicked her tongue out again, undoing the snap and zipper of her jeans at the same time. This time, Harry didn't flinch, just concentrated on the sensations that he was feeling.

Ginny snuck her fingers inside her panties and wet them inside her, coating them completely with her arousal. She brought that back out and traced the rim of Harry ass with her slick fingers, eliciting a deep groan from him.

"Does that feel good?" she asked.

"Yes, fuck," he replied, his eyes still closed.

"Relax, now," she gently pushed a finger a little into Harry's ass and felt his walls contract around her. She stopped until he grew accustomed to the feeling, then pushed it in further and further until it was completely inside his ass.

"Jesus," he repeated. She pumped it gently in and out, not wanting to hurt him in any way, but loving the look on his face. He had allowed himself to grin slightly once and then smoothed out his face again, and Ginny smiled in return.

She turned her finger and pressed lightly when she found the spot that she was looking for. Harry screamed her name as he came hard in long pulses across his stomach. She continued to press lightly until he was completely spent and she gently removed her finger and leaned up to kiss him.

He started to clean himself up, but she stilled his hands. "That's mine, too," she whispered, and licked his stomach until it was completely clean.

"Holy shit," he said softly, whimpering into her hair and he held her close. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too." Harry reached to pull down her jeans and she shook her head. "No, tonight is just about you, love."

The grandfather clock at the bottom of the stairs began to chime as the hour struck midnight. "Happy New Year, Harry."

"Happy New Year, Gin," he replied and he held her close.

She stayed at Grimmauld Place with Harry that night, she wanted to spend as much time as possible with him because the day after tomorrow, they were having dinner here with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to tell them the news about pea. Ginny had a feeling that their happiness was about to come to an abrupt end.


	5. January

**JANUARY**

On the morning of January 3rd, Ginny flooed to Grimmauld Place bright and early. Harry had already been awake for hours, his stomach in knots. He greeted Ginny by the fireplace, and the couple went to the kitchen to have breakfast. They spoke about inconsequential things, avoiding the subject that was on both their minds: dinner tonight with Ginny's parents.

Tonight was the night that they were going to tell Mr. and Mrs. Weasley about pea, and every time Harry thought about it, his stomach rolled with nausea. Now he had a slight inkling of what Ginny felt like during the first month of her pregnancy.

Harry hated to think about what their reaction was going to be tonight; the disappointment that they would see in their eyes. Disappointment in him, he was sure. He wasn't looking forward to that.

He and Ginny had plans today to keep themselves occupied until dinner came. Kreacher, of course, was preparing the meal, so thankfully Harry didn't have to worry about that part of the evening. His job today was to keep Ginny calm and happy, hopefully.

Once breakfast was done, and he and Ginny helped Kreacher clean up a bit, Harry took Ginny's hand and they apparated to the little town of Brighton on the southern shore of England. Every January, the town celebrated the New Year by having a grand parade and street fair. The pair walked through the merchant's booths on the streets and the tiny town shops , and finally found a great spot to watch the parade, where Ginny could see well and could be comfortable, too.

Harry sat behind Ginny, his back pressed against an old maple tree, with Ginny sitting comfortably in front of him, her head resting against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and Ginny instinctively laced her fingers between his own; their hands settling on her stomach. Harry nuzzled into Ginny's neck, drinking in her scent and he sighed.

"How are you doing?" He asked gently, rubbing tiny circles on her stomach with his thumbs.

"I'm great, really," Ginny said. "Nervous, obviously, about tonight, but I feel so peaceful right now. I love being here with you, the rest isn't important to me right now." She turned her head and kissed Harry and smiled.

He let out his breath and smiled at her again. "It doesn't really matter what they say tonight, love, does it? I mean, we're excited about pea and nothing they can say can change our mind about that. I'm not looking forward to their reactions, though, I'll be honest."

"I know what you mean. They're going to be upset to be sure, but hopefully it will mostly be from shock and they'll get over it fairly quickly. I just hope that they don't say anything in the heat of the moment that they will regret," Ginny replied.

"Yeah, and, I hope your Dad doesn't hit me," said Harry, smiling a little, only half-kidding.

Ginny giggled, "I don't really think you have to worry about that. Dad's not a violent person. It's Mum that I'm worried about- you know how emotional she can be."

Harry nodded. "We'll be alright, love." Harry kissed her hair and tightened his hold.

Harry took Ginny to see a muggle movie in London, and she snuggled into his side as the feature started. They sat there quite content to eat their way through a giant popcorn bucket and watch the film.

They returned to Grimmauld Place late in the afternoon, and Ginny went to rest on the couch. Harry lit a fire and draped a blanket over her. She smiled, and closed her eyes for a nap. Harry leaned over and kissed her briefly and brushed the hair back from her face. She smiled again, but kept her eyes closed, leaning into his touch.

He let her sleep until 30 minutes before her parents were due to arrive. In the time she slept, Harry went up to his room, showered and dressed. He took his time getting ready for tonight, his mind in a constant whirl.

He was running through every possible scenario that he could think of, and what his reaction to each would be, the reaction that would minimize the hurt that would be inflicted on Ginny. He knew that he would probably be let off the hook much more easily then Ginny. Even if the Weasley's didn't berate her here, once they got her home to the Burrow, he was sure that they would unleash their full fury on her and he wouldn't be there to protect her. He didn't like that at all. He wished that there was some way that she could stay here with him tonight, but he knew that would never be allowed.

He walked slowly down the stairs and gently shook Ginny's shoulder, hating to wake her. He was glad that she got to rest some today. "Gin?" he said, sitting on the couch.

"Mmm," she replied, opening her eyes and smiling at Harry.

"Time to get up, love. Your parents will be here in a little while."

"OK.I had the best dream, Harry, all about you and me and pea. It was wonderful."

He smiled. "I'm glad. I dream about the three of us all the time," said Harry. She stretched and smiled, and finally got up from the couch.

"Can I help with anything?" Ginny asked.

"Nope, everything's ready. Kreacher's been very busy."

"This is so nice of him. I'm going to go and freshen up and change my clothes."

"OK, love."

Ginny returned downstairs with five minutes to spare. She looked radiant in the new dress that she bought. Harry smiled when she walked in.

"I don't think that you're going to have to say a word tonight, Gin. From that look on your face, your parents are going to know immediately about pea. You're beautiful."

She smiled, too. "That would save me some anxiety!"

They entered the library just as the Weasley's apparated, and they were hugged by the elder couple.

"Well, don't you both look nice!" said Mrs. Weasley.

"You both do as well," said Harry. "We're glad that you could come."

"Happy to be here, Harry, happy to be here," Mr. Weasley replied, clapping Harry on the back. "Thanks for the invitation."

The foursome sat by the fireplace conversing easily and having drinks until Kreacher announced dinner. The dinner conversation flowed easily as well, Harry telling the Weasley's about the day that he and Ginny had spent in the south. The Weasley's talked of the wedding as usual, and told them about the news from the Burrow and about Hermione coming to spend some time with them before her return to Hogwarts.

Once the dinner dishes were cleared, Harry suggested having dessert in the library where they could be comfortable. They got settled and Harry looked at Ginny. Her face had turned a slight shade of green, and a panicked look was in her eyes. Harry smiled at her, held her hand and taking the initiative, he began,

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and I have some good news to share with you," he smiled at Ginny then continued, "We're going to have a baby."

Silence.

The Weasley's sat there with a look of shock on their faces, Mrs. Weasley's mouth hanging open. The longer the silence lingered, the redder Mr. Weasley's face became.

Harry looked back and forth between the two of them and continued, "We understand that the timing is horrible, but we're very excited about it."

Ginny finally swallowed the bile rising in her throat and said, "Harry's right. We're so happy about it, and we hope that you will be, too, in time. I know that this is a lot to take in right now, but please be happy for us."

Mrs. Weasley said not a word; she just looked at her daughter and started to cry. Mr. Weasley continued to stare and say nothing, his color turning a dangerous shade of crimson.

"I'm very sorry that you're upset, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, truly, I am. I don't know how to quite explain myself but to say that it was never my intention to make you unhappy or to undermine your faith in me. It's just…I love Ginny more than anything else in my life, and I'm sorry that the timing is so bad, but I'm not sorry that it happened," Harry finished. He squeezed Ginny's hand and smiled at her.

Mr. Weasley finally looked Harry in the eye, and the look of disappointment that Harry had feared was right there, with a vengeance. Mr. Weasley looked like he wanted to rip Harry to shreds. Mrs. Weasley continued wiping tears from her eyes in silence.

"Dad, please," said Ginny. "It's not Harry's fault, it was mine if anyone's." She paused to look at Harry and smiled slightly, remembering the night. Harry shot her a look that said 'are you kidding me?' Ginny smirked and continued, "Harry always had the best of intentions when it came to me and he never wanted to hurt either of you. We always wanted a family, we're just beginning it a little earlier than planned that's all."

Her mother finally broke her silence, and started yelling. "Ginevra Molly Weasley, how could you _**do **_this? You have_** ruined**_ your life. You have no idea what having a child entails and you're entirely too young!"

"Mum, stop!" Ginny's hands balled into fists and she began to stand, but Harry held onto her arm so she remained seated. "You didn't think that I was too young when Harry and I decided to get married! And, I don't think that I've ruined my life, just enriched it! Harry and I are so happy about this. We know it won't be easy and we know that we have no idea what we're doing, but I have enough faith in us that I know we'll be okay. And, I was kind of counting on your help, Mum," Ginny finished, her eyes suddenly filling with tears, too.

Harry took her in his arms, and held her there. "Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, please, let's all calm down here for a minute, okay? Ginny and I are in a better position than a lot of young couples that are starting out. We love each other, we have a house, more money than we'll ever need and a family that loves us, I hope. We think that we're unbelievably blessed, and all we're asking is for you to love this baby, too. We already do."

Mr. Weasley finally found his voice. "It's true that you won't ever have to worry about money or a home, and I'm grateful for that. I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not disappointed in both of you. I'm not trying to be a hypocrite, Ginny," he said as he noticed the fire that had suddenly flashed in her eyes, "I just wish that things could have gone easier for you both then they did for your mother and me."

"Dad, it's going to be fine. We're so excited! I know you wanted things to happen for me in a certain order, but sometimes life throws you curves, and you have to go with it. I love Harry, and I love his child. We're going to be fine. But, I want you both to be happy for us, and to be involved in your grandchild's life. Please?" Ginny begged.

After a minute of silence filled with the two couples looking uncomfortably at each other, Mrs. Weasley softly said, "When is it due?"

"Early July," Ginny said, smiling a little at her mother.

Her Mum got up from the couch and approached Ginny. Ginny stood up, too, and came into her Mum's arms, and both women began crying again. "We do love it, honey, and we're happy for you. We'll do everything we can to help you." Mrs. Weasley turned to her husband and he reluctantly nodded.

Harry said, "Thank you. Thank you both so much."

Soon after, the Weasley's flooed back to the Burrow, leaving Harry and Ginny alone at Grimmauld Place. Harry brought Ginny into a bone-crushing hug. "I love you, Gin. It's going to be okay."

"I know, Harry, I have you," she said. "But, it's not over yet you know."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"Now we have to tell Ron and Hermione," she said with a gleam in her eye.

"Ugh," said Harry, "that might be even worse."

"I know."

"Ron won't even hesitate to rip me to pieces. At least your Dad had some restraint."

Ginny smiled. "Don't worry, I won't let Ron touch you," she smiled, and Harry gave her a crooked grin.

"That's great, my fiancé will have to defend my honor."

"Aww... is "The Chosen One' afraid of my big bad brother?" Ginny teased, and Harry scowled at her. "Besides, your honor is gone, love, I hate to tell you. And, I think you could take Ron if you really wanted to," said Ginny smiling. "I'm going to get home, Harry, I'm exhausted."

"Do you think your parents are waiting for you?"

"No, but probably tomorrow when they've had time to think about it I'll hear a bit more."

"Let me know if you need me there."

"I always need you, but I'll be fine with them. I think the worst is over," said Ginny.

"Goodnight, love."

"'Night. See you tomorrow." And, she was gone.

Ginny was surprised to see Hiro at her window that night at 2AM. He woke her up with his gentle tapping, and she was immediately at her window opening it enough for him to fly through.

"Hey, boy, is Harry OK?" Hiro hooted quietly and nipped at her fingers. She flipped on the light and unrolled the parchment.

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**I was just sitting here thinking about tonight, and hoping that you were okay. I hope that your parents will be understanding and not give you too hard a time about pea. Please know how much I love you and how much I already love pea. The two of you are my whole world, and I will do anything I can to make you happy.**_

_**I hope in the light of day that your parents will be as happy as we are. **_

_**I wish I could crawl into your bed with you and hold you tonight. I'm dreaming about you.**_

_**I love you,**_

_**Harry**_

Ginny smiled again, he always knew how to make her feel better. She took out her quill and parchment, and wrote back to Harry.

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**Yes, I'm fine. I heard my parents talking as I passed their room on my way up the stairs tonight, but they weren't yelling, so I took that as a good sign! I think that they will be happy for us, but I'm sure they're a bit disappointed, in me especially. **_

_**But right now, I don't care because being with you in October was the most amazing night of my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything. And it gave us pea.**_

_**I love you, Harry, and I'll see you tomorrow (later today, actually).**_

_**I wish you were here, too.**_

_**Gin**_

She tied the letter to Hiro's leg and sent the owl back to Harry.

Harry and Ginny decided that the first night that Hermione came to stay at the Burrow they would get her and Ron together and tell them the news. They didn't want Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to have to hide anything from them while Hermione was staying at the Burrow. It was bad enough that they asked the Weasley's to keep it from Ron for a week so that they could tell the two of them together.

The evening went just about as Harry expected. Ron was furious and kept throwing murderous looks at Harry and screaming at him. Thankfully, he didn't get physical, but Harry thought that it would almost be welcome at that point.

"What the _fuck,_ Harry?!" Ron screamed at him, itching to grab his wand. "Don't you care about anyone but yourself?" Then he turned on Ginny, "And you! Do you have _any_ idea what you're doing?" Hermione grabbed his arm and tried to get him to sit down.

"Ron, shut it!" screamed Ginny. "You're such a complete idiot."

"Ron, that's enough!" Harry exclaimed, trying to control his temper. "I think you've said enough, and I won't have Ginny getting upset like this. This is between Gin and me and we were just doing you a courtesy by telling you. We don't _want_ or _need_ your blessing, but I was hoping for Ginny's sake that you would act a bit more mature."

"You think that _I_ should act more mature? That's rich, coming from you. You were so hot to get into her pants that you didn't think once about what the consequences for her would be, did you? What about all the talk you gave me about waiting, or was that just so I would lay off you?" Ron said, his voice still raised to an uncomfortable level.

"Ron…" Hermione began but she was cut off by Ginny.

"Enough!" Ginny screamed. "If you must know, Ron, I was the one who attacked HIM, so if you're going to yell at anyone, it should be me!" Ginny suddenly grabbed her stomach, groaned and sat down, her hands shaking. Harry was by her side in a second.

"Are you alright?" he asked, taking her clammy hand.

"Yeah, I think so, I just need to sit for a minute," said Ginny, a light film of sweat dotting her forehead.

Harry turned to Ron and Hermione scowling at them both his green eyes flashing, "I think we're through for tonight, if you both don't mind leaving now, and thanks so much for the support," he finished sarcastically.

Ron said not a word but turned away, a bit more subdued now, heading towards the fireplace to grab some floo powder. Hermione mouthed "sorry" to Harry with sad eyes and followed Ron.

Ginny was wrapped in Harry's arms for the next hour alternating between yelling about Ron and crying at their reactions to the news.

"I knew he'd be angry, but even Hermione was upset, I didn't really expect that," said Ginny.

"Fuck them, who cares what they think, Gin," Harry said coldly. "This is between us, love, nobody else, okay?"

She nodded and dried her eyes. "I wish I could stay here with you. I really don't want to have to stay there with all of them glaring at me. It's exhausting, honestly."

"Stay here, I'll owl your parents." Ginny nodded once too tired to protest anymore.

While Harry wrote a note to her parents and gave it to Hiro to deliver, Ginny climbed the stairs to his bedroom. She washed her face and blew her nose, determined that the tears she shed tonight would be her last for a long time. She didn't know what had come over her. She was never a crier, and now any little thing could reduce her to tears. She chalked it up to fluctuating hormones, and steeled herself that she wasn't going to let anyone else's prejudices intrude on her joy about this baby. Once her decision was made to be strong, she felt instantly better.

She opened the door to the bathroom and found Harry sitting on the bed, a look of concern in his eyes and she smiled. "I'm okay, love, don't worry." She crossed the room and placed her palm on Harry's cheek. He stood up and kissed her, taking her in his arms.

"I can't help it," he replied, handing her a sweatshirt, flannel pants and thick socks for her to sleep in. He knew she got cold in this old, drafty house.

"I know, that's why I love you. Thanks for the clothes."

Fifteen minutes later, they were snuggled under the covers, Harry's arms around Ginny and her head against his chest. She exhaled a deep, contented sigh.

"You smell so good. I can't wait until we're married and I never have to leave you again," said Ginny.

"Me, too," said Harry. "I could get used to this very quickly." He kissed her and pulled her closer. He was glad when her breathing evened out and she slept peacefully.

Ginny was becoming too stressed out for Harry's liking and he vowed to shield her as best he could from those not happy about the baby – which seemed to him like _everyone_ lately. He would keep her here as often as possible and help her to focus on the joy they were feeling and not the negativity from everyone else.

Over breakfast the next morning, Harry said, "Gin, I have to go back to training next week, and I don't want to have to worry about you incessantly, so I wanted to ask you for a favor…"

She looked at him and smiled, "Anything. What do you need me to do?"

"Be here," he said, taking her hand across the table.

She crinkled her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"I want you to spend your days here, resting and relaxing as much as you can. I don't want you to be where people are going to give you a difficult time."

Ginny thought about it for a minute, then replied, "Alright, Harry. I'll be here as much as I can, I promise, okay?"

He visibly relaxed, "Yeah, I would feel a lot better knowing that you were here, that Kreacher could look after you during the day."

"And then you can look after me at night…" she said, smiling, and making him smile in return. "Until I had to go home, anyway…"

"Yeah, I'd like that," Harry said. "You're my responsibility, Gin, you and pea belong with me."

She smiled again, "I know, and you belong with me." He nodded, glad that she understood.

When Harry returned to Auror training, Ginny spent most of her days at Grimmauld Place. She felt guilty about distancing herself from her family and Hermione, especially after the first few days when her Mum began to embrace the idea of being a grandmum.

Even after a week, Hermione wasn't very talkative on the subject. She was polite to Ginny, but the closeness that they had shared seemed to be temporarily gone. Ginny tried to talk to her numerous times about the baby, but Hermione never wanted to discuss it. It made Ginny sad that her best friend couldn't see the joy of the situation and be happy for her.

She found her solace at Harry's. It was so peaceful and quiet, and she liked knowing that Kreacher was nearby if she needed anything. Ginny loved being alone here where she was free to wander from room to room, and just be happy among Harry's things. More often then not, she would end up in his bed napping.

Harry loved coming home and finding Ginny in his bed resting, or in the kitchen with Kreacher. He could pretend that they were already married and beginning their lives together.

She and Harry spent every night together, although Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hadn't allowed her to stay at Grimmauld Place overnight with Harry since the night they told Ron and Hermione about pea. Ginny thought that this was hilarious.

"What's the worst that can happen at this point, Harry? Do they think that I can get _more_ pregnant?" Ginny laughed, and Harry joined in.

"I'm glad that they let you spend any time with me at all," said Harry.

"Harry, get over it. I'm seventeen years old and we're going to be married in six months. Give me a break!" Ginny said.

"I know, but if my unwed seventeen year old daughter came home and told me that she was having a baby, I would lock her up forever," said Harry, seriously.

Ginny laughed. "Yeah, I guess I see your point." The couple sat down to dinner then, and talked about Harry's training. Ginny told Harry about Hermione and how distant she'd become. This troubled Harry as he didn't want to see his girlfriend and her best friend angry over something wonderful.

"I'll talk to her if you'd like," Harry said.

"Nah," said Ginny. "I'm sure that we'll work it out eventually."

Harry took Ginny's hand and led her to the couch. He flipped on the TV and they sat down to watch a movie. Ginny felt guilty when Harry fell asleep twenty minutes later, his head back against the couch at an uncomfortable looking angle. Ginny smiled and woke him up with a kiss.

"Harry," she said. "I'm going to go home. Go upstairs and get some rest."

He pulled her closer. "No, don't go. I always sleep better if you're with me." She smiled, and pulled him down further into the couch so that his head was flush on the cushions and he smiled, asleep again within seconds, Ginny crushed against his chest.

Before they could fathom it, Ginny and Harry were back on platform 9¾ at King's Cross waiting for the Hogwart's Express to take Ginny back to school for the last time. They stood together, as far from all of the other students as they could, and held each other tight.

Ginny closed her eyes and sighed when 11:00 came around and their time together was up. "I wish I was staying. For the first time ever, I don't want to go back to Hogwarts," Ginny said. The couple began walking up the platform hand in hand to the compartment where Hermione was already waiting for her.

"I don't want you to go, either, but this is the last time I'm letting you leave me."

Ginny smiled up at Harry. "You'll never get rid of me again."

"Good," Harry said. "I love you, Gin, have a good term. Take care of yourself and pea."

"I will, Harry. I love you." And with a final hug and kiss, Ginny boarded the train.

_**17 January**_

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**Apart again. Your school break went much too fast for me. It was much harder letting you go this time, knowing that you're carrying our little pea with you. I want to keep you here and keep you both safe until he's born!! I want to be the one sharing this with you, and it seems unfair somehow that I'm so out of touch. Just feeling sorry for myself, I guess, and lonely without you.**_

_**I was really shocked that your parents took the news so well, weren't you? I thought that I would have at least one broken leg before the night was over. I felt so bad when your Mum started crying, but thankfully it wasn't for long. I think once they realized how excited we both were, they seemed to calm down a bit. I don't think that I'll ever get over this feeling of guilt, and I don't think that my face could have been any redder! But does it really matter what anyone else thinks? This is our family, love, and it's all about us now.**_

_**How is Hermione treating you? She was a bit put out since we told them the news. Ron has been glaring at me since we told them, but at least he's starting to speak to me again. I think that he'll be OK eventually, but I can definitely understand why he's angry with me. **_

_**Kingsley has slated our graduation for early May, so by the time you get back home, I will be a full-fledged Auror. When the time gets closer for the baby, I'll have to sit down with him and see what we can do about my schedule for the first few months.**_

_**Alright, love, I need to end here and get some sleep and dream of you! Pat pea for me – I miss rubbing your belly and can't wait for the bump! I love you.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Harry**_

Ginny smiled as she read Harry's letter, remembering the night they told her parents about pea. It was a toss up whose face had been redder: Harry's or her father's. Ginny thought that Harry was going to go crazy when she basically told her parents that it was she that initiated the night that pea was conceived. The look of absolute horror that Harry shot at her had almost made her laugh out loud, and it would not have been a good thing right at that moment. She and Harry had laughed about it over breakfast the next morning, but that night he was not too happy with her.

She was glad that he was with her when she told them the news. Thankfully, when the conversation began and Ginny thought that she was going to be sick, Harry took over and told them himself. She had been so grateful for that. She wasn't sure that she would have ever been able to get the words out herself.

_**20 January**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**Just a quick note to say hi and that I love and miss you!! We hit the ground running here with classes – only two days in and I'm already swamped with work. Plus, we had double Quidditch practices for the last two nights getting ready for our match against Slytherin tomorrow. Ugh!**_

_**Thank you for your letter! I miss you, too, I especially miss being in your arms.**_

_**Thank you, too, for making my month off so wonderful. I was expecting to be miserable after we told everyone, but thankfully I had a refuge with you. I love you so much.**_

_**It's so exciting about your graduation in May. I hope that I will be home before it happens – I want to be there with you! I'm home on the 10**__**th**__** or the 11th, so let me know when the date is set.**_

_**I'm so sorry that this is short, but I need to finish up some assignments for the week! I'm so tired already, but I feel good, and pea is doing fine, according to Madame Pomfrey.**_

_**I'll write after the match tomorrow and let you know how we did!**_

_**I love you,**_

_**Gin**_

Ron continued to glare at Harry on occasion, but he had begun speaking to Harry again a couple of days after he and Ginny had told him the news. One day at lunch, about a week after "the talk" Ron sat with Harry at the Ministry.

"Harry, I just wanted to apologize for my behavior at your house the other night. Is Ginny okay?"

"Yeah, she's okay, but it's not good for her to get upset like that," Harry replied, not quite ready to forgive Ron just yet.

"Yeah, I have to talk to her soon and apologize. It just took me by surprise, that's all. Hopefully, one of these days I will grow out of being a complete git," Ron finished and smiled at Harry sheepishly.

Harry laughed at his long-time friend. "It's okay, Ron, we kind of expect it from you by now." Harry smiled.

Ron grimaced. "Yeah, I guess that I deserve that, but I am sorry."

"I know, it's okay," said Harry."How's Hermione been with the news? She didn't seem thrilled either."

"Dunno, I guess I really didn't get to ask her. She spent the better part of the night listening to me rant, and we never really talked about how she felt," Ron ended, hanging his head. He had just realized that he completely ignored Hermione most of that night and he felt bad about it. Another thing that Ron needed to make up to her, it was beginning to be a long list; but at least he had a plan.

_**January 26**_

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**Hey, love, how are you? I never heard from you - how did your match go against Slytherin? I miss hearing from you and being with you everyday, are you very busy? Are you still feeling well?**_

_**It's not the same since you left. I eat dinner alone every night now, I miss sharing it with you.**_

_**The training room is finally done, and we've gotten to use it a bit over the past couple of days. I really think that this room will improve our reaction times immensely. You're in there either alone or with a partner, and the control room sets out holograms of a variety of situations, and we have to first survive the trial and hopefully take out the bad guys while doing it. It's been great, but I've been hit with more cruciatus curses than I care to admit. **_

_**It's very strange because you get the full feeling of the curse while it's happening, but none of the after-effects. The spells we cast, too, are felt on the opponent, which gives us a good indication of the strength and speed of our spells, and a good measure of what we need to work on without hurting each other. I can spend hours in there without repeating a scenario, and all of us have improved with our spells.**_

_**My day to day activities have fallen into a nice routine. We spend two hours every morning running and in the weight room, and then two hours in class. We get an hour for lunch, and then back to class for two hours, and the training room for the last two hours of the day. It's nice because between the ten of us in training, we rotate the workouts and training room, so there are only five of us at a time having a go.**_

_**Please answer soon and let me know if there's anything I can do, or if you need anything. How's pea?**_

_**I love you!**_

_**Harry**_

Harry flooed home from the Ministry one night in late January and the first thing he did was look at the side table where Kreacher always kept the day's mail for Harry. He quickly flipped through the envelopes and parchments, but he didn't find the one thing he was looking for. He hadn't had a letter from Ginny in over a week, and he began to worry. This had become natural for him; his level of worrying about Ginny had doubled since he had found out about pea.

Before he even changed out of his robes, he had his quill flying across the parchment, writing once again to Ginny.

_**28 January**_

_**Gin:**_

_**Hey, love, is everything alright? I haven't heard from you about your match, and I wanted to know how it went. You must be so busy.**_

_**Are you feeling okay? You wrote that you were tired, please do what you can to rest, love. I'm a little crazy now that I can't be with you everyday and make sure that you're okay.**_

_**Please write soon, I love you!**_

_**Harry**_

The next evening was the same thing, and the next; still no response from Ginny. He had to do something before he went completely mental. He thought of the only person who could help him right now, and he once again took out his quill…

_**30 January**_

_**Dear Hermione:**_

_**Please tell me if something's wrong with Ginny. I've been writing, but haven't gotten an answer from her in over ten days.**_

_**Is she alright? **_

_**Please answer, Hermione, I'm going a bit mad here.**_

_**Harry**_

Thankfully, he didn't need to wait long for Hermione's response. Her return owl came the next night, but her news didn't do anything to still any of Harry's fears.

_**31 January**_

_**Harry:**_

_**Ginny's fine, not really feeling great, but I think you need to speak with her directly. **_

_**She's been staying with Madame Pomfrey in the hospital wing. I'm sure it'll only be a few more days until you hear from her. Please be patient and she'll explain everything to you when she's ready.**_

_**Love from**_

_**Hermione**_

Harry wondered what the hell was going on…


	6. February

**FEBRUARY**

Harry was crazed. His letter from Hermione did nothing to ease his mind about Ginny. He had known something was wrong, he could just feel it. He wanted desperately to go to the Burrow to see if the Weasley's had heard anything from her, but decided that it was a very bad idea. He knew deep down that he would be the one she turned to if she needed help, and he knew that it would do no good to worry Mrs. Weasley if it turned out to be nothing.

Patience had never been one of Harry's strengths, and now more than ever his patience was wearing very thin since he knew that Ginny wasn't well. It was torture waiting to hear from her, but unfortunately, he had no other choice. He had owled Madame Pomfrey right after receiving Hermione's letter, but, like Hermione, her reply told him nothing. She, too, told Harry to wait for Ginny to write to him.

He asked Ron nearly everyday if his family had heard anything, but Ron just kept shaking his head no.

Ginny lie in bed, thinking about everything that happened since January 21st. It was impossible to think that everything had changed so quickly. One minute, she was on top of the world. She was in love and having a child, captain of her Quidditch team, doing well in school and getting married in seven months. And, the next, she was lying face down in the dirt, unable to move a muscle, her entire body in agony. It felt like her insides were being ripped out through her belly button.

Thankfully, Madame Pomfrey had been able to get Ginny up to the hospital wing before the bleeding began.

Ginny knew what was happening even before the Healer could tell her. She was losing pea.

Immediately, Madame Pomfrey began her work on Ginny's abdomen, and Ginny turned her head away from the Healer, tears flowing down her cheeks unchecked. The Healer was talking to Ginny gently while she worked, but Ginny tried to tune her out. Ginny threw her arm over her head, wanting to avoid seeing or hearing anything that Madame Pomfrey was doing to her baby. She felt pressure in her midsection, and Ginny squeezed her eyes shut and tried to focus on Harry, tried not to think about pea being taken from her as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

Just then, Hermione barreled through the door, and flew to Ginny's side. She took Ginny's hand and began to stroke it gently. She said nothing, though, and for that Ginny was grateful. She gazed into Hermione's face, and her eyes said it all, said how sorry she was - about everything. Ginny continued to cry and she didn't think that she would ever be able to stop.

After fifty minutes, Madame Pomfrey had Ginny cleaned up, into dry, clean clothes and the sheet pulled up to her chin. She had moved Ginny into a small, private portion of the hospital wing. "You'll be alright now, Ginny," said the Healer as she turned and walked away.

Ginny scoffed at her, but never turned her head to meet the older woman's eyes. Ginny didn't think she would ever be alright again.

"Hermione I need to be alone for a while."

"Gin, let me just say this and then I won't bring it up again. I'm very sorry about everything – the way that I behaved when you told us the news, and for weeks after. I was jealous, so jealous. You had everything that I wanted from Ron, and I didn't know what to do or how to act, and for that I'm so sorry. I should have been there for you, Gin, and I wasn't, and I will never forgive myself for it. So, I just wanted to apologize before I go."

"Hermione, please don't apologize, it's okay. I understand, honestly, don't worry about it. I'm glad that you're here now," Ginny answered.

"Do you need me to bring you anything?" Hermione asked.

"Please bring me pea's rattle, Hermione, and," she paused, "thanks for staying."

Hermione nodded, paused at the door and turned to look at her best friend. Ginny looked so bereft, Hermione wondered what was going to happen to her now. She turned and walked out the door, closing it silently behind her.

Ginny cast a silencing charm around her bed, and let herself go. She curled up into a fetal position and cried for hours. For pea, for what this was going to do to Harry and for herself.

A few days later, Hermione was making her daily visit. "Ginny, you should write to Harry, he's really concerned," Hermione said. "He wrote to me asking about you when he didn't hear from you."

"I know, soon, I just can't right now," Ginny replied. She was finally sitting up in bed, but her face still looked ravaged.

"Do you want me to?"

"No, I'll tell him, I need to be the one to tell him, I just can't face it yet," Ginny said sadly. "And, please don't mention it to Ron yet. Harry needs to know first." Hermione just nodded and left Ginny alone.

She stayed in the hospital wing for over a week, refusing to eat, staring at the tiny silver rattle and crying often. Hermione was bringing her their assignments, but Ginny had no energy to focus on anything anymore.

On February 1st, Ginny returned to her dorm, ashen faced and still very weak. Madame Pomfrey came to visit her everyday, bringing her medications, and finally insisting that Ginny get out of bed and begin getting some exercise. The Healer was hoping that getting Ginny out of bed and eating again would help build up her strength.

Four days later, Ginny finally took out her quill and parchment, and began the toughest letter that she ever had to write. It took her over an hour to get the words out, she stopped frequently to give in to bouts of tears that she couldn't control. The letter to her parents telling them the news was a bit easier for her – they weren't as invested in pea as she and Harry were. She was glad the task was finally done. When she finally finished, she rolled the two bits of parchment, and Hermione delivered the letters to Helena and Hiro in the owlery.

Finally_, finally_, after five torturous days, Ginny's letter arrived. He didn't know why, but Harry's hands were shaking as he unrolled the parchment waiting for him on the end table. He sat and read.

_**5 February**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**I'm sorry to make you crazy with worry about me. I was in a bit of bad shape for a while. Please sit down Harry because what I need to tell you isn't going to be easy.**_

_**During our match with Slytherin on the 21**__**st**__**, I was knocked from my broom from quite a ways up. I was watching the snitch and not the Slytherin seeker that decided to crash into my side and send me tumbling. Unfortunately, I didn't have Dumbledore there like you did to slow the fall, and I hit the ground hard. I was taken to the hospital wing immediately, and Madame Pomfrey did everything possible, but I lost our little pea. He's gone, Harry. **_

_**Will it help at all to say I'm so sorry? I know that this was all my fault. What was I thinking still playing that dumb game when I had our baby to protect? I was so stubborn, and aching so much to prove that I could be a great captain that I was frivolous with our baby. Our baby, Harry! How could I do that?**_

_**I keep holding the rattle, your first gift for our baby pea. I never knew that I could cry so much.**_

_**I have nearly healed physically, although I'm still trying to gain all of my strength back. I had lost a lot of blood with the miscarriage. Now, I just need to heal emotionally, and I think that will take quite a bit longer.**_

_**I have Madame Pomfrey and Hermione here with me, and they are taking care of me. Please don't worry about me and I'm sorry.**_

_**I need some time to myself, Harry, so if I don't write right away, please don't worry or be angry. I am going through bouts of hysteria and anger and mourning. I know that you will, too, but I'm so sorry that I need this time to be selfish. I need to be left alone for a while, please.**_

_**Gin**_

He crumpled the letter in his hands. The pain of the last seven years was nothing compared to what Harry was going through now. He sat in the chair by the fireplace, unmoving, uncomprehending; his heart splintering into a thousand pieces.

Tears flowed down his face as he thought not only of pea but of the pain that Ginny was going through, too. He ached for her, to hold her in his arms and stroke her hair and tell her that somehow it'll all be okay. He didn't know how or when, but he had to believe that they would get through this.

He finally got up from his chair and moved upstairs to his bedroom at a snail's pace. He threw himself across his bed and cried. He was glad that nobody was here to see him like this, to see his pain, to see him crying like a child. Was it crazy to mourn for someone that he had never even met?

He knew, though, that his pain was not only for pea, but for everything that he represented. Pea was his child, his future, the person that he and Ginny had created _together_, the perfect combination of each of them and Harry had loved pea more then he ever thought possible. Even if he and Ginny had other children, he knew that he would always think of pea as his first.

He knew that once he pulled himself together, the first thing that he needed to do was to write to Ginny. He had to let her know that he loved her and would be there if she needed him. He knew that she said that she needed space, but he didn't want her thinking that she had to go through this alone. But, tonight was just for him. He let his tears flow, truly grieving for his pea and for Ginny.

The next night, after moving like a zombie through training the entire day, he began to write.

Ginny started back to classes a few days later. She was badly behind on her schoolwork despite Hermione's best efforts to keep her on task. Ginny just became overwhelmed with everything very quickly. She wasn't able to concentrate on anything that her Professor's said, she handed in assignments that were only half done or done very poorly.

Madame Pomfrey always looked at Ginny with a critical eye when she entered the classroom, assessing her condition. She was never very happy with what she saw, but the few times that the Healer tried to talk with her about it, Ginny refused to discuss what had happened.

She quickly moved from sadness to indifference to anger. She became angry at anyone and everyone that crossed her path. Even though she knew deep down that it she was being unreasonable, it wasn't in her at that moment to care. As her strength returned, so did her ability to use her tongue to hurt people, and unfortunately, Hermione was on the receiving end more than once.

She was sitting on her bed staring into space, again thinking about pea. Hermione came in and tentatively looked at Ginny, trying to assess her mood.

"Mail arrived for you, Gin," Hermione said.

Ginny huffed and rolled her eyes, but took the letter from Hermione. "Thanks," she said without feeling.

Hermione grabbed her books for the day and left the dorm.

Ginny looked at the parchment and recognized Harry's writing at once. She knew in the back of her mind that Harry would write, but she was hoping that he would respect her wishes for some time alone. Immediately, her mood began to darken as she unrolled the parchment reluctantly and began to read.

_**7 February**_

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**I don't know what to say, love. There aren't enough words for this. First of all, I'm so glad that you're OK physically, at least. I know that your emotional scars will take much longer to heal, as will mine. I wish that I could be there to hold you in my arms again and comfort you as best as I could. Can I come to see you? I want to be there with you so badly.**_

_**I feel so lost. I've been walking around in a daze since I read your letter. I didn't realize how much I had wrapped my thoughts and future around you and pea until we lost him. I loved him, too, Gin. I'm so sorry, love. **_

_**I know people will tell you that it was for the best, that we'll get over it eventually, but I think that you and I know better. We will mourn our pea forever. **_

_**I know that you asked for time for yourself, love, but please don't shut me out. I want to go through this with you, to help you as much as I can, for us to comfort each other. Please, write me back and let's share our pain. Besides, who else loved pea more than you and me? I understand what you're going through. **_

_**I'm sorry that you're there without me, but please know that I think about you constantly, and am worrying about you. Let me come and be with you, please, love.**_

_**I love you with all of my heart, Gin.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Harry**_

Ginny tossed his letter to the side and grumbled. Why couldn't everyone just leave her alone? She couldn't even imagine seeing Harry right now – it would be the worst thing that could happen. Besides, how the hell would he know what she was going through? She seethed as she gathered her books and left the dorm for her first class of the day.

All day long, Ginny thought about Harry's letter and became more and more irate. Everything he had said irritated her and that night, without thinking about what she was saying, Ginny wrote back to Harry.

_**10 February**_

_**Harry:**_

_**You understand what I'm going through? How can you possibly know what I'm going through and how I feel? You have absolutely no idea what I've been through these past three weeks.**_

_**I asked you for some time, and you couldn't even give me that, Harry. Why?**_

_**I'm tired of you going through Hermione to get information on me. She spies on me constantly and all so that she can report back to you. She stalks around almost like she's waiting for me to become hysterical or throw a fit. You both are driving me mad. She wasn't even happy about the baby, and now she's going to pretend like she cares? Maybe Ron will be happy now, too, and you two can go back to speaking to each other again.**_

_**I'm sure that the internship is out of the question for me, now, too.**_

_**Please, Harry, I'm asking you **__**again**__**, to back off for a while, please don't come up here, and call Hermione off my case as well. **_

_**Ginny**_

Harry was infuriated. He had never been this angry at another person in his life, and that was saying something. He couldn't believe that the person who wrote that letter was the woman that he loved.

He couldn't believe what she had said, but he had to think that she wasn't in her right mind. There's no way that she could mean any of that, could she? Harry had to go, had to be with her no matter what the cost, no matter what she said. He sent a quick note to Kingsley excusing himself from training the next day. He changed clothes, grabbed his jacket and wand, and summoned Kreacher.

"Master?" the elf said, bowing.

"Kreacher, I need a favor, and I wouldn't ask if I had any other option. Could you please apparate me into Hogwarts? I need to see Ginny – it's urgent."

"Of course, Master Harry, hold my arm." And with a pop, they were gone, landing instantly in the kitchens of Hogwarts. "What would Master like me to do?"

"Please let Headmistress McGonagall know that I'm here but that I'm not staying. Then, can you wait here for me to return? I don't know how long I'll be. And, thanks, Kreacher."

"Of course, Sir."

Harry left Kreacher standing there as he made his way as quickly as he could up the staircases to Gryffindor tower. He waited patiently until the portrait swung open as a group of three first years exited. Harry entered the common room quietly, trying not to draw attention to himself and looking for a familiar red head. He didn't see her anywhere, but Hermione was sitting in an overstuffed chair by the fireplace and he crept as quietly as possible to her side. He touched her arm and she gasped as she looked at him.

"Harry!" she said loudly, then covered her mouth, looking around frantically. Thankfully, there were only a few students milling around and nobody had seemed to notice.

"I need to see her, Hermione. Is she upstairs?" he asked without preamble.

She nodded and he didn't wait to reply, he headed towards the girl's dormitory stairs. She was lying on her bed facing away from him when he opened the door. She had her legs drawn up and her arms curled around her pillow. Harry moved closer, finally reaching her bed.

Her reached out and touched her back at the same time he whispered, "Gin?"

He felt the muscles in her back tense in response to his voice and his heart broke a little.

"What are you doing here?" she asked without turning, her voice hard. She wiped her eyes, but kept them focused ahead of her.

"I needed to see you. Gin, I'm so sorry about pea, so sorry." He reached out to touch her again, but she moved enough to give him the hint not to. He exhaled loudly. "Can you please look at me?"

"Harry, I asked you not to come, I told you I needed time."

He closed his eyes tight, not believing that she was saying this. He walked around her bed so that he could see her face, and he sucked in his breath at the sight. Her eyes were bloodshot, nearly beyond recognition and she had streaky red blotches everywhere.

He cringed just thinking about what she had been through these past few weeks alone. He fell to his knees at her bedside and put his head down into his hands.

"Gin, my God, please…" he begged her, but she wouldn't look at him. Tears continued to streak down her cheeks, landing in her pillowcase and she closed her eyes.

"I can't, Harry," she said as her voice broke and she hugged her pillow more tightly. "I'm sorry, I can't…"

Harry couldn't help it, he cried. He just couldn't hold it in any longer and he knelt there in silence, not touching Ginny but crying with her nonetheless. After a few minutes, he looked up and she was still lying there with her eyes tightly shut, still unmoving.

He wiped his eyes and stood. "Alright, Gin. I won't pretend to understand what you're doing or why, but I love you. God, I love you. I'm so sorry about pea, I loved him, too, Gin." He bent over and kissed her cheek and her hair and hugged her as best he could in her curled up position. "I love you and I'll be here when you're ready to talk about it. Please let me know if there's anything I can do, anything you need…anything…"

He walked slowly to her door and turned back, she hadn't moved. "I love you," he whispered as he turned the knob and left her room. Hermione was waiting at the bottom of the staircase for him.

"How did it go?" she asked gently.

Harry just shook his head, and Hermione could see the traces of tears down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Harry," she answered.

"She's in so much pain, Hermione, but she won't let me share it, she wouldn't even look at me or talk to me," he said.

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

Harry stood and crossed to the portrait hole without saying anything else and he made his way back to the kitchens. Kreacher apparated him home and Harry spent that night and the next day in his bed, thinking about Ginny.

His hands were shaking as he pulled out some parchment and wrote to Ginny again.

_**17 February**_

_**Gin:**_

_**I love you, please know that no matter how bad it seems right now, we can get better together. You don't have to be alone.**_

_**Please don't blame Hermione for looking after you. She had nothing but the best of intentions when it came to you. She was worried about you, and I asked her to keep an eye on you since you don't want me with you. So, yes, she was "spying" on you, but only because I asked her to.**_

_**I understand that you are the one that had to go through the pain of losing pea, but people are trying to help you, Gin, and you're not letting them. That's not like you. Please don't cut yourself off from the people that love you.**_

_**Just tell me what I can do, and I'll do it, but I'm sorry, leaving you alone isn't an option. I happen to love you very much. **_

_**Let me know when you're ready to talk again, and I will be here to listen.**_

_**Harry**_

Ginny folded Harry's letter after reading it and put her head back, closing her eyes. She knew that she should care that he was upset with her but she just couldn't find the energy to do it. Ginny was becoming a shell of her former self and she knew it, but she couldn't see any way to stop it from happening.

Hermione walked through the portrait hole one evening and found Ginny in the huge armchair by the fire staring at the flames.

"Gin, did you have dinner?" Hermione asked.

Ginny huffed and looked up at Hermione, "No, why is this something that you're going to report back to Harry, too?" Her voice was filled with hatred, and Hermione physically jumped back, like she had been slapped.

"You know, you can't go on treating people this way, Ginny. It's not like you," Hermione ended loudly, annoyed herself now, too. "It's about time you come back to the human race."

"Oh, give me a break, Hermione. And, you just know everything, right? We should all just bow down to the all knowing Hermione Granger and do whatever she says. Well, thank you so much for the advice." Ginny got up and walked to the dorm stairs, every eye in the room following her with their mouths agape. Their exchange had gotten quite loud, and everyone in the room was staring.

Hermione sat in the now vacant chair and stared into the flames with tears streaking her cheeks.

Ginny was trying her best to follow Hermione's advice, as much as she didn't want to admit it. She went through the motions everyday. She showered, she ate when mealtimes came, she went to class, but that was as much as she was capable of. She never wanted to speak to anyone and she had left the Quidditch team after the accident, so she didn't even have that to distract her anymore – not that she could even think of getting back on a broomstick.

She, once so popular and well-liked by everyone, had become withdrawn and sullen and spent the majority of her time in her dorm room, alone. Ginny still cried for pea, but most of the time now she just stared into space, not thinking, not feeling anything.

Professor McGonagall called her aside after Transfiguration one day, and sat her down for a minute. "Madame Pomfrey told me about the baby, Ginny, and I'm very sorry."

Ginny put her head down and nodded, "Thank you."

"Are you feeling alright?" The headmistress asked.

"As good as can be expected, I guess," Ginny replied.

"I need to tell you a bit of bad news unfortunately, although I imagine that you've already guessed. The two month internship at St. Mungo's that begins March 1st has been filled by another applicant. I know that you were interested when you first heard about it."

Ginny's eyes blazed. "It figures, doesn't it?" She sighed calming herself a bit, "I'm sorry, Headmistress, I'm trying."

"Miss Weasley, you have to snap out of this state soon," Professor McGonagall continued, "It's not healthy for you to continue this way. You have alienated most of your friends, and this blasé attitude about your schoolwork and your future is doing you no good."

A snappy retort was on the tip of her tongue, but thankfully Ginny remembered that this wasn't a student who was speaking to her. She exhaled, and said, "In my head, I know that everything you said is right, but my heart won't let me care about anything anymore," replied Ginny, suddenly seeming much younger than she was.

"What about Harry?" Ginny smiled at her use of his first name – that was a first. "How is he doing?"

"Not well, I don't think. I've asked him to leave me alone for a while until I can work through some of this," Ginny said.

The Headmistress nodded and continued gently, "You know he might be able to help you there. You don't need to go through this alone, Miss Weasley. He would be a great shoulder to lean on, you know, and he might just need you, too."

Ginny nodded and got up from her chair. "I can't face him right now. But, thank you, Headmistress."

Professor McGonagall did not look happy. "I expect to see vast improvement in your schoolwork from now on, Miss Weasley."

"Yes, Ma'am, I'll do my best," Ginny said.

"And please think about including Mr. Potter. I know that he'd want to be here for you as well."

That night, Ginny was alone again in the dorm room while her dorm mates were at dinner, and she sat on her bed, absentmindedly rolling the silver rattle between her fingers. She glanced down and the beautiful ruby ring that was sparkling on her right hand caught her eye. She slipped the ring from her finger, and brought it close to her face, looking closely at the perfect stones. Her, Harry and Pea.

Tears began to fall again as she kissed the ring, and got up from her bed. She opened the trunk at the foot of her bed and found what she was looking for after a few minutes of digging through her things. She remembered two short months ago when Harry had given her the beautiful ring for Christmas, but she couldn't bear to look at it anymore. Everything she saw was a reminder of what was gone.

She placed the ring back in the box, and then unfastened the delicate necklace and put that away as well. Ginny cried once the beautiful reminders were put away – it was almost like saying goodbye to pea and it became very real for her. She couldn't part with the silver rattle yet, though. She needed something tangible that she could hold on to for now. She felt like she was slowly losing her grip on reality.

At Grimmauld Place, things were much the same for Harry. Although he was able to function a bit better then Ginny was throughout the day, when he flooed home at night Harry was a mess. He never went anywhere anymore, and didn't even want to spend any time at the Burrow, which was very unusual for him.

Ron, once Harry had told him the news, began trying to bring Harry out of his self-induced hibernation.

"Harry, let's go out tonight and tie one on. C'mon, it's Friday and we have the whole weekend," Ron said.

"I can't, Ron," Harry said. "I just can't be around people right now, sorry."

"What about just coming home with me for a while, then? Mum would love to feed you," Ron tried again.

"Not tonight, okay? Soon, not right now, but thanks."

"Okay, but I don't think this is good for you, Harry. You need to start getting out again."

"I have to make sure that Gin's alright before I do anything for myself. It wouldn't be right," Harry said shaking his head. "She wouldn't even look at me, Ron. Does Hermione say anything? Have your parents heard anything from her?"

"No, neither. Hermione doesn't like talking about Ginny, she feels like she's prying, and Mum and Dad have tried numerous times writing to Ginny, but her replies are very short and kind of mean, to be honest."

"Yeah, I know how that feels," said Harry.

"Why don't you go up to see her again, Harry?" asked Ron.

"If you could have seen the look in her eyes, Ron, her face was just agony. I tried, but she wouldn't talk to me, she was so closed off. It was frightening. She said that she wanted space, and was mad that I didn't listen to her. I'm not strong enough to stand it if she turned her back on me again."

Ron didn't know what to say. He knew that his sister was one of the most stubborn people that he ever met, and if she said that she wanted space, she meant it. He didn't envy Harry at this moment.

Harry hated that he wasn't able to be with Ginny, the cause of his pain being the fact that he knew Ginny didn't want to see him. He never thought that they would be separated, especially about something this important to both of them.

So, instead of leaning on each other for comfort, he was alone in his grief. He couldn't let this continue.

He tried again.

_**23 February**_

_**Gin:**_

_**I know, I know, leave you alone, but I can't. I hate what this is doing to us, why can't you talk to me? **_

_**I miss you, I miss us. I'm trying to get through the days, but it's becoming impossible to do.**_

_**I just need you to know that I'm hurting, too, and I love you.**_

_**Please at least let me know that you're okay.**_

_**Harry**_

Ginny was crying once again when she finished Harry's letter. This time she cried for him and for their future. She had been thinking lately that she might never get over losing their baby. She could feel Harry reaching out to her, but she was unmoved. How was she ever going to look him in the eye again? Be intimate with him knowing that this might happen to their next child, too? She knew that she would never survive it again.

She couldn't see her future with Harry clearly anymore, and it scared her to death. She had always been so sure of them as a couple that no matter what she imagined her future to be, Harry was always right there by her side. But now, every time she thought about what the future held for them, she couldn't focus on anything specific.

For the first time, it made her doubt that her future lie with Harry.


	7. March

**MARCH**

_**5 March**_

_**Harry:**_

_**I don't know about anything anymore. I don't know about my future, what I'm doing, where I'm going, and I don't know about you. I'm going through hell here, Harry, and you're going on as though nothing happened. How can you do that?**_

_**I don't care about anything anymore. Do what you need to do, and I will try to get myself back together alone.**_

_**Ginny**_

Ginny continued her downward spiral despite her best efforts. She was able to focus on her schoolwork, and her Professors thought that she was finally coming back to life. Professor McGonagall actually smiled at her after class today. Ginny hid her pain well.

She knew that what she was doing must be devastating Harry, but the longer that she went without seeing him, the easier it was for her to pretend that things were normal. She just wished he would take the hint and stop writing to her, too. She wanted the pain to end.

And then she received the most painful letter of all.

_**10 March**_

_**What the hell is going on, Ginny? How can you even send me a letter like that? You're talking to me like I'm interference in your life and not your fiancé and the man who loves you. I am truly sorry about us losing pea, but you can't let it consume you this way. **_

_**What is it, Gin? Are you angry at me? At God? At yourself? Give me a hint here. **_

_**How can you even insinuate that I am going on as though nothing happened? Do you know how many times a day I think about you and pea? I have to excuse myself from classes frequently and the trainers have pulled me aside numerous times to ask me what is going on with me. My grades have slipped and I can't concentrate on anything anymore. I'm kind of losing it here. So, yeah, that's how well I've been getting on. Unbelievable.**_

_**Your Dad came up to me yesterday and hugged me, and I nearly burst into tears, Gin. I dragged him into a storage cupboard and talked his ear off for nearly three quarters of an hour because it was such a relief to finally have someone to talk to about pea. I can't believe it couldn't be you that I could do that with. He was so kind and made me feel a bit better. I just want to do that for you, Gin. Let me be there. Let's cry about pea together, and mourn him together, I'm begging you. Please?**_

_**Please, let me come there and be with you. Please…**_

_**Harry**_

And just like that, Ginny's defenses came tumbling down, and she was running for her life.

Harry was in his usual chair, sitting facing the fireplace, rubbing his hands together trying to get warm. He just stared as was his usual practice, seeing nothing. Anyone who could see the 'famous' Harry Potter now wouldn't even recognize him.

Harry looked up suddenly, as the flames in the fireplace brightened considerably, a sign that someone was flooing in. He was immediately on his feet with his wand at the ready: the only person allowed to floo into Grimmauld Place without prior permission from him was Ginny, and he knew that that was impossible.

His jaw dropped to the floor as Ginny emerged from the fireplace and flew into his arms, knocking him back into his chair, his wand flying out of his hand.

"Ginny, what's going on? What are you doing here?" he asked, not quite comprehending that he was actually holding her in his arms.

"Harry…" was all that she could manage before she burst into tears once again and she tightened her hold on his neck. "There's so much…Harry…I'm sorry…I don't…"

He shuddered slightly. "Shh, it's alright now," Harry said, smiling despite his pain; happy to be holding her after all this time. "How did you get out of Hogwarts?"

"Tomorrow, Harry, can we talk about everything tomorrow? Can we just go upstairs? I know I don't have any right to ask, but please just hold me tonight, and we'll talk tomorrow…I promise…" she begged.

He stared at her, disbelieving. "Okay. Let me just send Hiro to Kingsley and let him know that I won't be in tomorrow," Harry said. "I'll be right up."

"Okay, thank you," she finished weakly, rubbing her eyes and starting for the stairs. She turned and watched him writing his note, and she wiped her eyes again, continuing up the staircase.

Harry's head was swimming as he wrote. What the hell was going on? Ginny was here? What happened to make her finally come to him? He was hoping to be at Hogwarts this weekend so that he could talk to her and now she was here. He was very thankful that tomorrow was Friday. They would have all weekend to sort through this mess.

He stared at his owl flying through the night and watched until the bird disappeared. He was suddenly scared to go upstairs; he had no idea what he was going to find waiting for him. He took off his glasses and rubbed his weary eyes then ran his fingers through his hair. Exhaling loudly, he replaced his glasses and turned.

He climbed the stairs slowly, and when he entered his room, he found Ginny already in bed with her back to him. He could tell that she wasn't asleep yet. He went to his bathroom to get ready for bed, and returned ten minutes later.

He lay on his side facing Ginny's back, not touching her, just happy that she was here at all, letting his eyes roam over her hair and back, wanting to touch her more than anything else in his life. He heard her breath shudder, and she turned over to face him, her face filled with grief. She moved closer to Harry and ran her hand along his waist to his back, pulling herself closer until she could lay her head on his bare chest.

"I'm so sorry, Harry, please just know that…" she said softly.

"It's okay, love, we'll talk about it tomorrow. Just rest now," he replied.

"Please hold me, Harry," Ginny said.

He pulled her as close as he could and bent his head to kiss her hair. He ran his fingers through it and rubbed her back gently. She snuggled against his chest and was asleep within minutes, but Harry wasn't so lucky. It would be long, long night for him.

The next morning, Harry let Ginny sleep and he finally got out of bed around 9:00. He went downstairs and sat in the kitchen.

"Mistress Ginny has come for the weekend," Kreacher said; a statement rather then a question, as he brought Harry his breakfast.

Harry smiled a crooked half-smile, not surprised that the house elf already knew she was here. "Yeah," he answered. "I'm going to let her sleep for a while, she was pretty tired."

"Of course," said Kreacher.

Ginny came down an hour later, freshly showered and in a pair of Harry's flannel pants, a sweatshirt and a pair of wool socks. She was sitting down to breakfast, not quite meeting Harry's eyes.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm just so tired." She looked at him and smiled gently, and he returned the smile.

"Thank you for coming home," he said. She looked into his eyes and saw that he meant it. Tears filled her eyes but she didn't let them spill over. She just nodded.

After breakfast, Harry and Ginny went to the library and lit a fire. They made themselves comfortable on the sofa, Ginny on one side and Harry on the other, facing each other, their feet meeting in the middle. Harry tossed Ginny the blanket from the back of the couch, and she wrapped it around herself, settling in. They both knew it was going to be a long day.

Harry remained silent as Ginny gathered her thoughts, thinking about how best to begin.

"I…I got your letter yesterday, Harry," she said finally. He nodded his head but didn't say anything. "It was exactly what I needed to wake me up. I've been living a half life since the end of January…well, you kind of saw a part of it… and your letter was the only thing that reached me."

"I wrote you many letters, Gin," Harry said softly.

"I know, and I'm sorry, Harry for everything. I was so mean. I don't know how to explain what happened to me, I was lost."

"I tried to help, you didn't let me," he said.

"I know that, too." She took a deep breath, looking down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Harry." She paused again. "I know that I'm going to have to say that a lot today."

"No," he said, meeting her eyes. "You don't need to say it anymore, I just want to understand. Start from the beginning, and tell me, Gin."

"Okay," she turned her head and looked into the flames; it was easier to talk that way. She told Harry about her fall from her broomstick, about Madame Pomfrey working over her stomach, taking pea from her, and how Hermione had held her hand while it happened. They both cried as the memories flooded through Ginny's mind, and Harry reached out for her hand and gently pulled her towards him. She got up from her end of the couch, and sat with Harry, her back against his chest. He unconsciously wrapped his arms around her belly, and she shivered when he rubbed it.

"I'm sorry," he said, pulling his hands away.

Ginny pulled his hands back to her stomach and laced her fingers with his. "No, it's okay," Ginny replied. "It's okay. It's just the first time anyone's touched me there since it happened."

"Go on, love, keep talking to me," Harry said. She nodded as she ran her thumbs along his hands and went on.

She talked about how much and how hard she cried, about being so mean to everyone, including Hermione and about her talk with Professor McGonagall.

She told him about the internship being given to someone else, her feelings of her life being out of control, her anger, her impassiveness. She told him everything over the next two hours. Harry was silent, letting her get everything out.

Kreacher brought them drinks every once in a while, and also a box of tissues for Ginny when he noticed that she needed them. She was nearly hoarse when she finally finished.

"I don't get one thing, Gin," Harry said sounding hurt.

"What is it?" She knit her eyebrows together waiting for him to continue.

"How…how could you not let me in? How could you keep pushing me away and not let me help you? I came to you and you still turned me away…" Harry's voice cracked with emotion when he finished, and Ginny sat up and turned to look at him. She took his hands again and said,

"I am truly sorry for that, Harry. I just…couldn't face you."

His eyes flashed with anger, "What do you mean?" he said rather harsher then he intended. He got up from the couch and began to pace in front of her. She swung her legs onto the floor and buried her face in her hands.

"I…I was the one, Harry, don't you see? I was so reckless, I…don't you understand?" She looked up and pleaded with him with her eyes. "It was me, I'm to blame for what happened to our baby!" Ginny put her head in her hands again and the tears flowed. "I couldn't look you in the eye, Harry. I…was afraid."

"Of what? Of me?" He shouted; his face blazing with anger once again. Then, calming down and taking a deep breath, he knelt in front of her, took her hands in his own and said, "Gin, it was an accident, it could have happened to anyone!"

She shook her head slowly. "No, I wasn't afraid of you…never that…I was afraid of what I would see when I looked in your eyes." She exhaled sharply, "I thought that you'd hate me for what happened…I … I couldn't have handled that then. Oh, I should have known better, Harry!" She said loudly, still not looking at him. "I was so pigheaded, I thought I was invincible. I was so anxious to prove that I could be a great captain that I wasn't even thinking about anything else. Protecting pea should have been my only priority."

"Gin, look at me now. Look in my eyes," he said. She shook her head, but slowly she raised her eyes to his. "What do you see?" Harry asked gently, wiping away her tears.

"Something that I don't deserve," she whispered looking away, her resolve crumbling.

"Tell me," he said just as quietly, bringing her eyes back to his.

"Love and forgiveness, neither of which I deserve, Harry." He sat back on the couch with her, enfolding her once again in his arms.

"Gin, come on. It's me. I love you, and there's no way that I blame you for anything that happened."

She shook her head against his chest. "Harry, I don't deserve your love, look what I did. How can you ever forgive me? How am I ever going to forgive myself?" Ginny cried.

He pulled her closer, holding her tight, and Ginny let her tears flow. Harry's joined with hers a minute later, both of them crying for the child that they lost. Finally finding comfort in each other.

"I was so crazy, Gin. You have no idea of what you shutting me out did to me. That was worse then the pain of losing pea. I had nowhere to turn, no one to talk to, how could you do that to me?" Harry asked.

"I'm so sorry," she squeaked out. "I was ashamed, but I was never angry at you, Harry. I was mad at myself, for what I did to our baby."

Harry pulled her up from his chest and turned her shoulders so that he could look her in the eyes. She saw such deep pain in his eyes and it ravaged her to know that she had put it there. Harry said, "You have to promise me right now, Gin, that you will never do that to me again no matter what happens. I don't care if you kill someone, you will not shut me out of your life ever again."

Ginny half-smiled at Harry's homicide reference. "I do promise. I guess I was trying to beat you to the punch, so to speak. Trying to push you away before you could push me away for what I did."

Harry rolled his eyes at her. "Okay, stop, Gin. That's the last time I want to hear you blaming yourself for what happened to pea."

She smiled a tiny smile. "I'll try," she said.

He sighed and brought her back down to him. "We're going to get through this, Gin."

"I know that now. I felt like I've been drowning for the past two months. It was so horrible, Harry. I felt like I was losing myself, losing my mind, actually." She chuckled lightly but Harry didn't laugh.

"I know how that feels - it hasn't been fun here, either. But, I'm glad you're here now. To be honest, I wouldn't have lasted much longer here without you. I was going back to Hogwarts this weekend," said Harry. A minute later, he asked, "So, what finally made you come back?"

"Your letter," she said simply. "I was so detached from everything and everyone when I got your letter. I just didn't care about anything anymore Harry. Then I read your letter and you were so mad at me. I thought that I could go on pushing you away until I wanted you back, and that everything would be fine. But then I got your letter and realized that you were angry, too, and I collapsed. I couldn't handle you being angry, and everything in me just snapped. All of the walls that I had built up around me for the past two months to keep everyone out came tumbling down, and all I knew was that I had to be with you no matter what. I would have walked here if I had to. I didn't even think, Harry, I just ran to McGonagall's office. Thankfully she was there. I think that I kind of yelled through my tears that I needed you, and she didn't even ask any questions. She just told me to be back on Sunday at 7:00PM and she handed me the floo powder," Ginny finished.

"She's amazing, that woman," Harry said.

"Yeah," said Ginny. "I owe her a lot; she's been very good to both of us."

Ginny turned herself over and laid on top of Harry so that their entire bodies were touching from head to toe. Harry brought the blanket over top of them, and rubbed her back gently. They were both asleep within minutes, exhausted from the emotional afternoon.

They had a light dinner and then went to bed together that night. Once again, Harry held Ginny in his arms and rubbed her back. He pulled her close when, in the middle of the night he felt her tears against his shirt again, and cried along with her. She threw her arms around him, and comforted him as well.

The next day, Harry and Ginny just relaxed alone together. Neither of them felt like seeing anyone or doing anything outside of the house, so they kept to themselves. They were just trying to reconnect, to be together again. They watched movies that they loved and snacked on whatever Kreacher decided to bring them, and later that night as they were getting ready for bed they laughed together for the first time since January.

Ginny was coming out of the bathroom holding a large glass filled with water to keep near her on the bedside table. Harry was already in bed, watching her cross the room with a smirk on his face. She looked up to see him watching her, and said, "What's so funny?"

At that moment, Ginny's foot caught on the edge of the rug under the bed, and as she went to catch herself from falling, the glass overturned all over the front of her pajamas. Harry sat there stunned, and then a grin began to climb over his face. He bit his lip to try and keep from laughing, but his emerald eyes were dancing.

Ginny looked up at him, shocked, and saw the smirk on his face and she, too, began to chuckle. He climbed to the foot of the bed to try and help her, but by the time he reached it, he had collapsed on the edge of the bed holding his stomach as full-fledged laughter rocked his body. Ginny dropped the now empty glass and jumped on the bed with Harry, laughing right along with him.

He grabbed her in his arms and by the time their laughter subsided, his shirt was as wet as hers. "Sorry, but that was hilarious," said Harry, still holding his stomach.

"It was - it feels so good to laugh again!" said Ginny. "I haven't done that in a long time." She looked over at Harry and smiled, a huge genuine smile.

"Me either, love. I missed you."

"I missed you, too," she said and rolled over to embrace Harry.

"I guess we'd better change, huh?"

"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea," said Ginny now looking down at her soaked front.

She got up from the bed and was walking back to the bathroom with a dry t-shirt when she turned to Harry. He had just taken off his wet shirt and was fumbling through his drawer to find another one, a trace of a smile still on his lips. She took a moment to admire him and she tried to focus, "I think that I should go see my parents tomorrow, Harry. Would you come with me?"

"Of course, love. I haven't seen your Mum in a while anyway."

The visit to the Burrow on Sunday proved to be very cathartic for the four of them. Ron was in Hogsmeade visiting George, so the two couples had the house to themselves. Harry had sent Hiro to the Burrow early that morning to let the Weasley's know that he and Ginny would be coming later in the day.

Ginny hadn't even stepped from the fireplace when Mrs. Weasley caught her in a fierce hug. "Oh, Ginny. I'm so glad that you're here. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Mum, I'm much better," she said as she turned to look at Harry and give him a smile.

"I'm so sorry, honey," Mr. Weasley said as he pulled her to him. She nodded into his shoulder.

Mrs. Weasley brought Harry into a hug, and patted his back. He shook Mr. Weasley's hand after extricating himself from Mrs. Weasley. The two couples sat facing each other.

"Is there anything you need, love?" Mrs. Weasley asked Ginny.

"No, I'm okay now, Mum, thanks," she replied. "Um, I wanted to apologize for the past couple of months. I know that I wasn't very nice to either of you, and especially to you, Harry. I wasn't able to function, really, and didn't know how to make myself better. But, I think I'm finally coming around and I feel better then I have in a long time."

"I'm glad, honey, but you know you didn't have to go through it all alone," her Dad said.

"Yeah, I know. But, at the time, I couldn't even think clearly, I wasn't myself at all, that's the best that I can explain it. I feel like I'm finally crawling out of the hole, though, thanks to Harry. But, I am sorry if I hurt you, any of you."

She looked at Harry and gave him a small smile. He took her hand in his.

"We're just glad that you're okay," said Mrs. Weasley. Ginny nodded.

They spent the rest of the afternoon making small talk, and Mrs. Weasley talked about their wedding over lunch.

"Speaking of weddings…," Mr. Weasley began, giving his wife a determined look.

"Yes, well," said Mrs. Weasley, casting her eyes down towards her lap.

"What's going on?" Ginny said, looking back and forth between her parents.

"Um…well…Ron proposed to Hermione on his birthday," said Mrs. Weasley.

"**What**??!!" said Harry and Ginny together, completely stunned.

"Yes, they didn't want to intrude on the two of you while you were going through so much, but they're planning on a Christmas wedding," Mr. Weasley finished.

"Wow," said Ginny, unbelieving. "I guess I really have been out of it."

"Me, too, apparently," said Harry shaking his head. "I can't believe Ron didn't say anything."

"They wanted to wait until you were both a bit better," said Mr. Weasley.

An hour later, Harry and Ginny flooed back to Grimmauld Place so that they could spend some time alone before she had to return to school.

"I feel so bad that Hermione couldn't even tell me," said Ginny softly. "I have to talk to her and apologize."

"Me too, to Ron," said Harry. "Gin?"

"Yeah?"

"What did you do with the rattle, and things?" Harry asked gently.

Ginny sighed and her brows creased together. "I finally took the ring and necklace off a couple of weeks ago, but I think that I'm going to keep the rattle, if you don't mind. I want to keep a reminder with me."

"Of course you should keep it, you should keep them all if you'd like to," Harry said. "I didn't mean to upset you, I was just wondering."

"No, it's okay. I think I'll send you back the ring and necklace when I go back tonight, this way you can keep them safe for us."

"Okay, whatever you want," Harry replied.

They cuddled on the couch holding each other and kissing until it was time for Ginny to leave.

"I can't believe it's time to go back already. Thank God for these past three days, though," Ginny said.

"I know what you mean." Harry took her in his arms. "We can't go this long without seeing each other again, Gin."

"I know, please come up and see me whenever you can, anytime, okay?"

"Yeah. We'll plan something for a weekend in April."

"Yes, soon, okay?" said Ginny.

Harry smiled, "I promise. I love you, Gin."

"Not nearly as much as I love you. Thank you so much for this weekend, I can't even tell you…"

"I know," he said and bent his head to kiss her a final time. "Now get out of here," he said with a smile.

She grabbed some floo powder, and as Harry's clock struck seven, Ginny threw the powder into the grate, said "the Headmistress' office, Hogwarts," and with a last smile she was gone.

"Hermione can I have a word?" Ginny asked as Hermione passed her in the Common Room that same night.

"Umm…sure," Hermione responded unsure of what was coming.

The pair went up the stairs to their dorm room where they could be alone. Ginny led Hermione over to her bed, and they both sat down facing each other. Ginny took Hermione's hands in her own, noting the brand new ring on her left hand and said,

"Hermione, I can't tell you how sorry I am for the way I've been acting for the past two months. All you were trying to do is help me, and I made your life miserable, and I can't begin to apologize enough for that."

Hermione was stunned, "It…its okay, Ginny, you were going through a lot."

"Yeah, but that still doesn't excuse my behavior," Ginny paused. "And, I'm so sorry that you felt like you had to hide _this_ from me." Ginny said holding up Hermione's left hand. "I'm so happy for you both, truly." Ginny leaned over and hugged Hermione.

"Thank you. Gin. What happened at Harry's? Is everything okay with you two?"

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, thankfully he's a much better person then I will ever be and he's forgiven me. Hermione, I know that I may never be the same person that I was before all of this happened, but I think that I'm going to finally be able to function again. I feel better then I have in a long time."

"You should have gone to Harry sooner. He's very good for you," Hermione added gently.

"I know. I was afraid that he would blame me for what happened, but I should have known that he wouldn't," Ginny sighed. "So, tell me all about the proposal! Did my brother finally do something romantic for you?!"

"Oh, Gin," Hermione said, a blush creeping up her cheeks, "he did really well. He came up for his birthday, and I thought that we were just going to go to dinner in Hogsmeade, but he and Hagrid had everything planned. We walked down to Hagrid's hut, and we stepped inside and Gin, it was amazing. All the Hagrid's furniture was gone, and everything had been cleaned and was sparkling, fabric was draped everywhere so the room seemed so cozy. There was a small table in the middle, set beautifully for dinner with crystal and china and candles lit everywhere. Ron had cooked and it was simmering on the stove, he was all dressed up and looked amazing. He was playing all of my favorite songs…"

Ginny was smiling ear to ear. "What did he _say_?!"

Hermione smiled. "After I had a minute to take it all in, he took my hands and got down on his knees, and I swear I started crying right then! He said, 'Hermione in all of my life I know that I will never love anyone else as much as I love you. You are everything to me and I love you with all of my heart and will for the rest of my life. Will you _please_ be my wife?' Gin, it was the most romantic speech that Ron ever made."

"Wow, I am seriously impressed," Ginny said. "I'm very proud of him and the ring is so amazing!"

Hermione looked at the beautiful round diamond ring, "I love it, and I'm so happy. I know he's not perfect, but Lord knows I'm not either. But, the thing is, we're perfect for each other."

Ginny nodded. "Yes, you are. I'm really happy for you both," Ginny said sincerely and smiled at her best friend. "And I'm sorry again for everything, and especially for making you feel like you couldn't tell me. I love you Hermione, you're my best friend."

"I love you, too, Gin, and I'm so glad that you're feeling better, I can't have my maid of honor being morose," Hermione finished, smirking.

Ginny smiled and ducked her head, "I'd be honored."

That night Ginny joined her old friends in the Common Room and tried to let them know in a subtle way that she was feeling more like her old self again. She joined in their conversations and smiled and laughed more then she had in months. The next night she wrote to Harry.

_**19 March**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**All I can say is thank you, my love. Shall I tell you the reasons why I'm thankful for you and love you with my entire being? Well, here's a partial list:**_

_**You love me when anyone else would have chucked me long ago**_

_**We made pea together, and I will never, ever forget that**_

_**You are kind and compassionate and treat me better than I can ever deserve**_

_**You're green eyes sparkle when you're angry, and also when you look at me with absolute love, both of which I experienced over the past three days**_

_**You know just what I need, even when I don't know it myself**_

_**You put me in my place when I'm acting like a complete ass**_

_**You love my family as much as I do, and they love you back**_

_**I can depend on you unconditionally, and that's the greatest compliment that I can give anyone**_

_**I'm so glad that we were together this weekend. You were right; it was such a relief to talk about pea, and to cry with you over his loss. I miss him unbearably, but I know that you do, too, and sharing the pain with you has eased it from me a bit. I am sending you the ring and necklace with Hiro so you can put them away for later. Thank you for keeping them.**_

_**Thank you for letting me be angry, letting me cry, and for holding me so tightly while I did. Why did I hold you at arms length for so long? I was being so selfish and thought that I had to bear the pain alone. Thank you for showing me that I was wrong.**_

_**It was never you that I was mad at, Harry. I was so angry at myself for being so careless with our baby, I couldn't even think about looking you in the face. I thought that all I would see there was blame and anger, so I beat you to it, and projected all of those feelings onto you before you could put them on me. I'm sorry, Harry. I should have known that all I would find in your eyes is love and forgiveness.**_

_**I was so empty, so lost, and in the span of three days, you filled me up and made me whole again, Harry, you brought me back to life. If I told you a million times a day that I love you, it wouldn't even come close to letting you know how I truly feel about you, my love.**_

_**I know now that we're going to get through this together, and hopefully it will make us stronger. I will never shut you out again, that I promise. I do truly love you, Harry, more than I can ever say. **_

_**Yours always,**_

_**Ginny**_

Harry breathed a sigh of relief after finishing Ginny's letter, thankful that he and Ginny were back in a comfortable place. He didn't realize how much the past two months had affected him until the pressure was gone. He was glad to have Ginny back on the same wavelength with him, they had been separated for so long, and so unnecessarily.

He kept her letter close and read through it many times over the next few days. It always made him feel better to scan Ginny's "list" of why she loved him. It never failed to make him smile – a welcome change from the past two months of misery.

It had been a great weekend with Ginny. It was amazing how in three short days his life had changed so dramatically. It was nice just to be able to "be" with her. To read, watch movies and just relax, to reconnect. He was able to breathe again instead of having constant anxiety about Ginny. He knew now that she was going to be fine, they would be okay because they would be together.

Harry waited outside the classroom at the Ministry the next morning waiting for Ron who was running late as usual. Five minutes before the class began, Harry spotted his friend coming up the hallway with his head down, munching on the remnants of a doughnut. Harry smiled and shook his head, amazed once again at the amount of food his best mate could consume. Ron looked up and was puzzled seeing Harry out here, he usually met Ron inside at the long table that they shared - he knew that Harry hated to be late.

"What's up, mate?" Ron asked him, swallowing down the last bit of the sweet, wishing he had some milk right now.

Harry didn't answer right away, but pulled Ron into a fierce hug.

"What the hell was that for?" Ron said, pushing Harry back good-naturedly.

"Ron, I'm sorry, I've been so wrapped up in myself and what's been going on with Ginny, I really haven't been much of a friend to you. Your parents told me about you and Hermione, and I'm really happy for you guys."

"Thanks," said Ron. "It's pretty amazing, huh?" Ron replied, smiling.

"It's unbelievable! You're great together, Ron. But, I am sorry that you couldn't tell me, really, mate."

"S' okay, Harry, I understand. I can't imagine going through something like that. You'll be my best man, won't you?" Ron asked.

"Of course," Harry replied, "thanks." Ron nodded.

They entered the class room as their instructor was just beginning their lesson for the day and the friends settled into their seats, at peace with each other for the first time in months.

_**24 March**_

_**Dear Ginny:**_

_**Thank you for coming home to me. It was such a relief to hold you again. I was beginning to think that I would never hold you or feel that way again. I'm glad that you decided to keep the rattle. It will be our reminder of pea for the rest of our lives. I'll keep the necklace and ring for you.**_

_**I know that we'll get through this together. We'll never forget pea, love, but we'll get better. I promise.**_

_**My trainers are very happy that I seem to be getting back on track again. It's just such a relief to know that you're going to be okay. I didn't realize how much time during the day I spent worrying about you. **_

_**Ron has been great, I have to say. Once he found out, he has gone out of his way to keep me occupied. We spend nearly every night studying for a couple of hours, and then usually head to your Mum's for dinner. It's been nice being around your family so much, comforting. We talk about you all the time and the plans for the wedding (ours and theirs) have become a major topic of conversation again. We were working on the guest list the other night, and your Mum is being great about keeping it small. We're up to 75 people, and that includes our friends, so that isn't too bad. I am enclosing a copy for you, so let me or your Mum know if you have any changes.**_

_**I miss you so much, love, and wish that I could be there everyday to watch you wake and be the last person you see before you fall asleep. **_

_**Always my love, **_

_**Harry**_

Ginny read Harry's letter again before heading off to her classes for the day. She smiled at the thought that her Mum was once again throwing questions about the wedding at Harry. Her Mum had begun sending daily owls again to her at school with questions that she needed answers to. Ginny didn't understand why they couldn't wait until she got home in May, but if it made her Mum happy, then Ginny was all for it.

She grabbed her books and headed out the dormitory and five minutes later she entered the lab room for her elective with Madame Pomfrey. Ginny strode over to her lab table and dropped her books, but instead of sitting, she walked back up to the Healer at the front of the room and leaned in.

"Madame Pomfrey, could I have a word with you after the lesson?" Ginny asked quietly.

The Healer looked at her quizzically, but replied, "Of course, dear."

"Thank you," Ginny said and returned to her seat with a small smile on her lips. She was hoping that the Healer would be receptive to her idea. She crossed her fingers and then took out her quill.


	8. April

_**APRIL**_

_**2 April**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**I've made the decision! I'm going to be a Healer. I've spoken with Madame Pomfrey and she thinks that I would be excellent at it, and has agreed to write a letter of recommendation for me. Of course, the internship for this semester is over, but she thinks that even without it I won't have a problem getting into the training program at St. Mungo's after graduation. They start an eighteen month training program in September, and her recommendation will go a long way when I submit my application. I'm really happy about this decision; I think I would like to help other people for a change.**_

_**So, I have the entire summer to rest and relax and spend time with my most favorite person. I'm sure that Mum will have me running everywhere with wedding plans, but it will be nice to focus on something positive. She's coming up next Saturday and we're going into Hogsmeade to see about getting dresses for all of us. Fleur, Hermione and Luna are coming as well, so it should be a fun girl's day out. **_

_**I've apologized quite extensively to Hermione over the past two weeks. She is truly a good friend, and I'm so happy for her and Ron. They are good for each other. I feel so badly that I reduced her to tears numerous times with my sharp tongue and hurtful attitude. I know she understands, but I'm still ashamed of myself.**_

_**Harry, please do me a favor. If you still have the letters from me from February and March, please don't keep them. It hurts me to know that there may be a time in the future when you come across them and re-read them, and I don't ever want that to happen. I don't want you to remember how I behaved, and especially how I treated you during the darkest time of my life. It would make me feel so much better to know that they will never resurface.**_

_**I miss you, love. Can you come up soon? Maybe the weekend of the 16**__**th**__**? I'll be sitting my NEWTs May 6**__**th**__** and 9**__**th**__**, graduation on the 10**__**th**__** and then home to you on the 11**__**th**__**!**_

_**Write soon,**_

_**Ginny**_

Just as she had done for herself, Harry and Ron when they were reviewing for their OWLs, Hermione wrote out a very strict study schedule for her and Ginny for their NEWT reviews. Ginny had never been more grateful to Hermione. She stuck to the schedule faithfully, and found that reviewing came much easier the more she focused on the task.

And, focusing on her studies gave Ginny less time to think about pea.

The weeks seemed to be flying now for Ginny, and for Harry. They both were concentrating on end of term exams, graduation being the focus for them both.

_**7 April**_

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**Wow – a Healer. I am so incredibly proud of you, and yes, I think that you will be amazing at it. You will be a natural – and your patients will be very lucky to have you taking care of them – trust me, I know. **_

_**I think that weekend of the 16**__**th**__** will work out for me if it's still good for you. Ron said that he would come, too, so the four of us can do something together if you'd like to. He and I got rooms at the Hog's Head on Saturday night. I can't wait to see you again.**_

_**I hope that you have a great day with your Mum and the girls, and hope that you find a beautiful dress. I've already spoken with Madame Ornatus and she has opened an account in my name at the dress shop. Please charge the dresses to me, Gin. I owe all of these women a debt that can never be repaid, so this will be a small way to let each of them know that I love them. Please, do this for me, and don't take no for an answer. And, if you're lucky enough to find your dress there, please allow me to buy that for you as well. I love you so much, and it would give me great pleasure to know that I was able to do this for you, and for them.**_

_**Good luck with your studying, I'm sure that Hermione has you on a strict schedule! She's great at organizing one's time (down to the second), but she means well. **_

_**I've burned your letters like you asked me to, so rest easy, love. How are you feeling these days? I have better days then others, and still get really down sometimes, but I know that you're feeling the same, and it helps me to know that I'm not alone. I hope that knowing that I'm thinking about you and pea as well helps to get you through the hard times. I love you.**_

_**Write when you can, and study a lot before the 16**__**th**__**, because I don't want to see you with a book for two days! All I want to see are your arms wrapped around me.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Harry**_

Ginny smiled as she finished Harry's letter. She was so glad that he decided to come up on the 16th. She couldn't wait to see him again. She knew that her Mum might give her a bit of a hard time about Harry paying for their dresses, but Ginny knew that Harry wouldn't offer unless he was sure he wanted to do it, and it was another reason that she loved him. He was always taking care of her and the people that they loved.

Thankfully, the Professor's had eased up a bit on assignments so that the seventh years could dedicate themselves to studying more fully for their NEWT exams. But, it was a relief to Ginny when the next Saturday came and her mother arrived with Fleur. Ginny was definitely ready for a study break, and Hermione was reluctantly pulled away from her books.

Ginny, Hermione and Luna were ready and waiting for Mrs. Weasley and Fleur at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade when they arrived. Hugs were exchanged all around and the quintet strolled leisurely down the village and they entered Gladrags Wizardwear, their destination for the day. Mrs. Weasley heard that they had just gotten a shipment of dresses in and thought that they could find something special for Ginny's wedding.

Ginny was very thankful that she had gotten a chance to speak with Fleur and Luna about just having Hermione as her maid of honor and no other attendants and they were both very gracious about it. Ginny was adamant about having a small wedding, with just her closest friends and family. She wanted an intimate feeling and wanted above all to be able to focus on Harry.

They entered the well-stocked shop and were pleasantly surprised that it was much larger then it appeared from the outside. They group was lead up to the third floor by a very pleasant salesperson where the special occasion dresses were displayed. They took their time thumbing through the racks of dresses and fingering the various fabrics, and the women had a lot of fun trying on anything that caught their fancy.

Hermione and Ginny came across three that Ginny loved and Hermione liked as well, and all of the dresses came in the deep bronze color that Ginny wanted for Hermione. They took the dresses back to the dressing room where Fleur, Luna and Mrs. Weasley were already trying on what looked like half of the store's inventory.

Ginny went to sit in the waiting room for the fashion show to begin, and Fleur was first to show Ginny her find. She came out in a strapless silver column dress that hugged her body in all the right places. Ginny's breath caught as Fleur turned, a huge smile on her face.

"Oh, Fleur, it's so beautiful," Ginny said.

"I do love eet," Fleur said, "but, wait! I 'ave more!"

As Fleur made her way back to the dressing room to change, Hermione approached in her first dress. It had a square neckline with a long full skirt. It was made of satin and was beautiful, but Ginny didn't think that it was quite right for an August wedding. She was afraid that Hermione would be too warm.

Mrs. Weasley was next to take the platform in a cinnamon colored dress with cap sleeves and fell three quarters of the way to the floor. It was made of georgette and fit her well, and Ginny could just imagine how beautiful her Mum would look with her hair done and a bit of makeup. "I love it, Mum," Ginny said and got up from her chair and approached her mother.

"Really?" her Mum asked, turning in the mirror to see the dress from the back. "I'm not sure. Are there too many pleats for me?"

"I don't think so, it falls really nicely," said Ginny, "and I love the color."

Luna walked around the corner and saw the two Weasley's. "Oh, Mrs. Weasley, it's beautiful," Luna said.

"You really think so?" she asked still unsure.

"Absolutely," Ginny said, "but I want you to like it, too." Mrs. Weasley turned back to the full length mirror.

"I do," said the elder Weasley, "I think that I really do." She smiled and embraced her daughter.

"Wow, I can't believe you're the first to find a dress! This is so exciting."

The store's seamstress approached Mrs. Weasley bringing her to the second podium and began pinning the dress for her.

Luna decided upon a dress that had various shades of gold and yellow throughout. It was beautiful and the dress' full skirt made a swishing sound as she walked which Luna thought was very funny, and she laughed with each step she took. Ginny giggled as Luna finally reached the dressing room to change and shook her head. She loved Luna.

Fleur returned to the mirrors in a beautiful strapless midnight blue sheath dress.

"Wow," was all that Ginny could manage to say. She and Mrs. Weasley were speechless as Fleur stood on the podium and turned to see the back of the dress. "Fleur, that's the one," Ginny breathed out.

"Yes, I think so, too!" Fleur responded and flashed the women a brilliant smile.

"It's the perfect color for you, Fleur. It's beautiful against your skin," Hermione said as she rounded the corner in dress #2.

"Thank you, and I love that on you!" Fleur said to Hermione. Fleur moved to the side as Hermione took her place on the podium. She had found the perfect dress, and Ginny clapped her hands like a five year old when she saw Hermione.

"It's so beautiful, Hermione!" Ginny said, her eyes bright with tears. "Oh, I love it! What do you think?"

"I love it, too," Hermione responded smiling, nodding her head. The dress was a halter style dress with an empire waist that fell to the floor in soft, cascading folds. This fabric was so light and airy, it looked like it was made of gossamer and it floated like a cloud behind Hermione when she walked. Ginny walked up to Hermione, took a handful of her hair in her hands and twisted it up so that it sat on top of her head with spiraling ringlets falling over her shoulder. The effect was beautiful.

"Perfect," Ginny said and Hermione smiled. They double checked that the dress came in the deep bronze color that Ginny loved, and then Hermione was sent to the seamstress for her fitting.

Then, it was Ginny's turn.

Once all of the women had been pinned and tucked and changed back into their regular clothes, the hunt began for the perfect dress for Ginny. They had a great time pulling out dresses for Ginny's approval, and by the time they made it through all of the racks, Ginny had roughly twenty dresses waiting for her in the dressing room.

Fleur and Luna went to sit while Mrs. Weasley and Hermione helped Ginny in and out of the majority of the dresses, tossing away the rejects and finally settling on two dresses that they all absolutely loved.

Ginny approached the podium, and Fleur's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh!" was all she could say.

Luna sat there with her mouth agape, unable to say anything.

The dress was magnificent. It wasn't the typical Cinderella-type dress at all. It was made of antique ivory lace over silk and it made Ginny look like she just stepped out of a romance novel. The bodice was fitted to her body, and the full skirt pooled at her feet when she stood still, but followed her regally as she walked. It was perfect. The seamstress found a veil that matched the dress and placed it on Ginny's head gently, securing it with a delicate tiara that sparkled in the mirror.

Mrs. Weasley stood behind her daughter with tears in her eyes. So much had changed for Ginny in the past year, it was all she could do to not cry. They were all so blessed. A year ago, no one could have suspected that she would be helping her daughter pick out her wedding gown and preparing to marry Harry Potter, the savior of the entire wizarding world. Her daughter was going to be a Healer, and a wife and had nearly become a mother in the past year. Mrs. Weasley bowed her head and said a small prayer for the grandchild she would never know.

Ginny, too, was thinking of pea. He was never really far from her thoughts, but today especially she was consumed with thoughts of her baby. She looked down at the beautiful lace gown that she was wearing and her only thought was, 'there's no way that I could be wearing this if I still had pea.' Her broadening belly would never have allowed the delicate fabric to be stretched over it. Ginny would have been six months pregnant right now. Her fingers grazed lightly over her stomach and her throat constricted.

She shook her head and forced herself to focus on the joy of marrying Harry, and not on pea right now. She could allow herself to indulge in his memories when she was alone later, but for now she would try to stay in the moment.

She glanced up into the mirror and immediately caught her mother's eye. The look that her Mum gave her let Ginny know that she was thinking of pea as well, and it comforted Ginny to know that he was not forgotten even though he was gone. Ginny nodded once to her Mum in silent understanding.

"Okay," Ginny said, "so, we all love this one?" Ginny fingered her engagement ring absentmindedly.

Every head nodded. "One more to choose from, and then we decide, okay?"

Hermione and her Mum followed Ginny back to the dressing room and Hermione focused on undoing the multitude of buttons running down Ginny's back as her Mum unzipped dress #2.

Ginny stepped into the second dress, and allowed her Mum and Hermione to pull and tuck and zipper it onto her body. She took a deep breath, and the trio returned to Fleur and Luna.

"Oh, theez is beautiful as well," Fleur said.

"Nope, dress #1," Luna said, very decidedly, and everyone laughed.

"Okay, we know Luna's vote, what does everyone else think?" Ginny asked.

Dress #2 was very simple and elegant. It was strapless and made of silk organza that flowed from the intricately beaded bodice to the floor. It was trimmed with a very thin sash at the waist that was the same deep bronze color that Hermione's gown would be. Instead of a lace veil, the seamstress found a simple veil of the same organza to place on Ginny's head, but the dress just didn't have the same impact as the first.

"I agree with Luna," Hermione said. "I love the bodice on this one, but the lace dress is just spectacular."

Mrs. Weasley and Fleur nodded their heads and Ginny smiled. "Okay, it's unanimous!"

They all hugged, and then Ginny went to put the lace dress back on so that the seamstress could fit it for her.

Ginny approached the register with the others and told the sales girl to ring the dresses up all together.

"Ginny, what are you doing?" her Mother demanded, here eyebrows furrowing.

"I'm not doing anything, Harry wants to do this. He made me absolutely promise that he would be allowed to do this for all of you. He loves you all and it's his gift to us for the wedding."

The women were stunned. "That's unbelievable, Ginny," said Hermione softly.

"That's Harry, Hermione," she replied and smiled.

They group headed to the Three Broomsticks for a quick bite to eat, and then Ginny, Hermione and Luna walked Mrs. Weasley and Fleur to the end of the road where they were to disapparate to the Burrow.

"Fleur, thank you so much for coming," Ginny said. "It was so nice to have you here."

"Eet was my pleasure, Ginny. Thank you for asking me," Fleur responded and pulled her sister-in-law into a tight hug.

Ginny turned to her mother. The women embraced each other, and Mrs. Weasley rubbed Ginny's back.

"I know today couldn't have been easy for you, love – I was thinking about the baby, too. But, I'm so proud of you, and you are going to look extraordinary in your wedding dress."

"Thank you, Mum. I'm so glad that you were here today, it made it much easier," Ginny said, smiling.

Once Mrs. Weasley and Fleur were gone, the trio headed back towards the castle to return to their studies.

_**12 April**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**Four days until you're here – the anticipation is killing me. I want you here NOW, but I know that I have to be patient, and I'm trying.**_

_**The shopping trip was a complete success – we all found dresses and everyone was very gracious in accepting your offer to pay for them. They were overwhelmed with your generosity, as am I, but I have had a lot longer to get used to your very generous ways. Everyone will look beautiful on our wedding day – and just wait until you see Luna's dress – actually Luna's reaction to her dress. No hints, just watch her face when she walks around, that's all I will tell you – and be prepared to laugh. She's extraordinary – I wish that I had her outlook on life.**_

_**Even my Mum found the perfect dress, and I thought that she would be dragging me around half of London looking through every dress shop imaginable. She was actually the first one of us to decide, impossible as that sounds. Now, all that's left are your dress robes, and Ron's and my Dad's, of course. I'm sure that trip will be a lot shorter then the dress shop trip.**_

_**Hermione is glaring at me over her notes, she thinks that I need to get back to my studying. I have cut into her carefully timed schedule for me by fifteen minutes by writing to you and she is not too happy! I happen to think that you're worth the distraction, however.**_

_**OK, she just yelled at me for the second time, so I think she's getting serious. I love you, Harry, and I will see you in four days. Hermione and I will meet you two at the Hog's Head at 10AM on Saturday.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Gin**_

The morning dawned bright and sunny on April 16th. Hermione and Ginny showered and dressed quickly, packed their overnight bags and left the castle by 9:30AM, heading for the Hog's Head Inn. They were sitting on two stools at the bar, waiting for the guys, while Hermione fidgeted restlessly.

"Hermione, what?" Ginny finally asked.

"I should be studying," her friend said simply. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Hermione, you know the material backwards and forwards, just relax for two days and you can study all you want to when Ron leaves," Ginny responded.

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed. "I know I should, but I keep thinking of questions from our texts and realize that I don't know the answers!"

"I'm sure you know the answers. It's only two days, Hermione. Let it go for now."

Hermione sighed but looked unconvinced. "I'll try to, Gin."

Just then, Ginny felt two arms wrap tightly around her waist and a pair of lips suck gently on her neck. A grin spread across her face and she closed her eyes.

"Oh, good, you're here. We'll have to hurry, though, my fiancé is coming soon," Ginny teased and Harry laughed out loud.

"He's one lucky guy," he said, returning his lips to her neck.

Ginny turned on the stool and weaved her fingers through Harry's hair and pulled him closer, kissing him deeply. "I missed you," she finally breathed into his mouth.

"Me, too," he said and grinned at her.

"Excuse us, you two," Ron growled. "Geez, can you come up for air for a minute so Harry and I can go see Tom about our rooms?"

"So touchy," Ginny said under her breath, making Harry smile.

"I'll be right back," he said and the two boys went to find the innkeeper.

Ginny and Hermione smiled at each other, happy to have their boyfriends here, even if it was just overnight.

"Good to see you finally smiling," Ginny said knowingly at her best friend.

"Shut up," said Hermione grinning again.

"So what do you both feel like doing today," Ron asked as the boys returned.

"Dunno," said Ginny. "A walk, maybe?"

"Sounds good, but let's go drop off our things upstairs first. Let's meet back down here in an hour? Or maybe two?" asked Ron sheepishly and Hermione elbowed him hard in the ribs and turned bright red.

Harry and Ginny smiled and Harry said, "Sounds good, _two_ hours. We can grab a bite and then see what's happening in the village. See you both in a bit." He took Ginny's hand and their overnight bags and headed for the stairs.

Harry closed and locked the door behind him and walked across the room to Ginny, who was looking out the window at the village below. He wrapped his arms around her once again, and nuzzled into her neck. Ginny rubbed his arms with her hands and leaned her head back into his chest, relaxing.

"So, how are you, really?" Harry asked gently.

"I'm doing better," she said. "Just like you, I have days that are better then others, but for the most part I'm okay. Thank you for understanding about the letters." He nodded as she turned in his arms and buried her face in his chest. "What about you, love, how are you feeling?"

"The same as you. It's getting better, mostly because I know that you're getting better."

She smiled a little. "It was tough choosing a wedding dress," she said to Harry. "I kept thinking about how I would never fit into the dress I picked if we still had pea."

Harry rubbed her back and closed his eyes.

"Mum was surprisingly great. There was a moment in the shop when I almost lost it, and then our eyes met and I knew that I wasn't alone in thinking about pea, and it made me feel better. I realized at that moment that I am a very lucky woman."

Ginny smiled at Harry and kissed him. The kiss turned deeper and Ginny's hands roamed over Harry's chest and arms.

"Did I ever tell you that I love your hands?" she murmured, turning over his hands so that she could kiss each of his palms. "These long, strong fingers," she flicked her tongue over each one as Harry closed his eyes and exhaled sharply, "your forearms that look so amazing when you have the sleeves of your button-down rolled up to the elbows." She grazed over his arms with her fingers, eliciting a deep groan from Harry as his gaze followed the trail of her fingers up his arms.

"I love your strong shoulders that you allow me to lay all of my burdens on," she kissed each of his shoulders through the fabric of his shirt, "your muscles that are so tight and respond to my every touch." She trailed her fingers over his stomach and could feel Harry's abs convulse under her touch. "Shall I go on?" Ginny asked as she smirked at Harry.

His eyes had clouded over considerably, he cleared his throat and swallowed deeply, taken aback by this new side of Ginny. He managed to say, "_please_…" before a chuckle escaped his lips. She smiled, too, and led Harry over to the large bed in the middle of the room.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, crawling to the middle of the bed.

"Mmm?" he responded, following her and closing his arms around her.

She looked at Harry as they knelt in the middle of the bed, but was suddenly distracted by the stretch of skin at his neck not covered by his shirt. She exhaled a shaky breath. "I know that you want to wait until our wedding night to make love again, and I do, too. But, there are so many other um…_**avenues… **_that we can explore with each other. What do you think?" She dipped her head to taste his body.

"I can't really think too well right now, Gin, with you licking my neck like that to be honest," Harry said, his breath catching in his throat.

She giggled, and continued to unbutton Harry's shirt. "I'll take that as a 'yes' then…" she paused and looked into Harry's eyes, "Only I get to touch you, Harry. Your arms, these hands, your lips, your stomach, your legs, everything…they belong to me, no one else…only me."

"_Yes,_" he said, groaning at the same time, "I'm yours…only yours…body and soul." He brought his lips down to hers in a searing kiss. "I love you, Gin…" he breathed and tumbled with her to the bed.

Ginny nipped at he neck and collarbone as she ripped the button fly of his jeans wide open and dragged them down his legs before he knew what was happening. He smiled at her, and returned the favor, tossing her clothes to the side of the bed quickly.

"So beautiful," she said as she sat between his feet, gazing up his body. She glided her hands up his legs, enjoying the sensation of his hair curling over and through her fingers. "I love you." She massaged his thighs and moved her body up so that she was kneeling between his thighs and she watched him watching her.

She loved seeing Harry's body's reaction to her touch. She laid down over Harry's body and into his arms, unable to be this far away from him any longer. She felt his erection poking up into her stomach, and reveled in the feeling of it pulsing and twitching from her touch. Harry rolled them onto their sides, facing each other and kissed her.

He cupped Ginny's breast between them and she groaned when he pinched her nipple between his fingers. "So soft, Gin. You're beautiful…" He brought his lips down to her breast and kissed her tenderly. His fingers trailed down her stomach until they reached the soft hair between her legs. "Are you sure, Gin? Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm sure…" she said, closing her eyes, arching her back and pressing her breast back into his mouth as he grinned.

His fingers moved through her folds, making her moan, and ran them up and down her slit before finally sliding into her core.

"Yeah, Harry, yeah…" she said softly, running her fingers through Harry's dark hair, holding him to her body. "Mmm…" She reached down between them and ran her fingers along Harry's dick, making him release her breast and groan himself.

"Ginny…" he said through deep breaths. "Fuck…"

She smiled. She loved hearing him curse when they were together, like he couldn't help himself. "God, Harry, I'm close…please…" she groaned into his ear.

"Me, too…come with me…" he whispered into her chest. "Yeah, Gin!" he screamed as she increased her pressure and speed, "Jesus, yeah!"

Harry took that opportunity to plunge a third finger into Ginny and pump in and out of her hard. "Fuck, yeah, Harry, now, Harry, now!" she screamed and came hard around his fingers, convulsing uncontrollably.

At feeling Ginny's orgasm, Harry erupted inside Ginny's hand, pulsing streams of milky liquid onto the two of them as they lay entangled on the bed.

They fell onto their backs, a thin film of sweat on their skins. Harry grabbed his wand and pointed at them, saying "scourgify."

"Thanks," Ginny said and smiled at him. "But, I'm not through with you just yet…"

The couple spent the next hour thoroughly acquainting themselves with each other's bodies. Harry took his time exploring every crevice of Ginny's body, learning what she liked and responding to every sound that she made. Every groan made Harry completely forget himself and every time she sucked in her breath or grabbed onto the sheets of the bed reflexively, Harry smiled to himself, stored away the information and built upon it.

The morning had been a learning experience for Ginny as well. She learned which of Harry's nipples was more sensitive, what touch made him arch his back off of the bed, where he was ticklish and the right amount of pressure from her that made him scream her name. She would do anything to hear that sound again.

Both of them were flat on their backs and panting when they finally looked at each other and smiled.

"Shower, love?" Harry asked after a minute, his breathing finally coming back into the normal range.

"Yes, please," Ginny responded, her face still flushed and beautiful.

"Together?" he asked.

"Absolutely. Do you think that I'm going to let you out of my sight right now?" she responded.

Harry laughed as he took her hand and helped her from the bed, her legs still a bit shaky.

Forty minutes later, the couple made their way down the stairs and saw Ron and Hermione already at one of the tables in the dining room.

Hermione threw Ginny a knowing look and raised her eyebrows at them both. "Hey," she said. Ron was still looking at the menu, oblivious.

"Hey," Ginny replied, smiling.

"Have a nice time?" Hermione asked, feigning innocence.

"Very nice, thank you," Ginny said, just as sweetly. "So, what are we having?"

Harry, Ginny and Hermione burst out laughing as Ron looked from one face to another trying to get what the joke was, but failing miserably. He shrugged his shoulders and went back to deciding between the steak and the shepard's pie.

The two couples enjoyed their afternoon. They did wind up taking a long walk through Hogsmeade, and then caught a movie – an action film that Ron insisted on. They all enjoyed it, though, and Ginny especially liked holding Harry's hand and driving him a bit wild in the darkened theater.

Harry and Ron discussed their graduation at dinner that night, and told the girls that Kingsley had decided on May 8th as the graduation date. Ginny was thrilled, she couldn't wait to ask Headmistress McGonagall if she could floo from her fireplace for the day to attend. Hermione scowled, though. All she could think of was that Ron's graduation was the day before their final NEWT exams.

"Hermione, it'll be fine. If we don't know the material by then, we never will," Ginny said, Harry nodding along with her.

"Yeah," said Ron. "I want you there, 'Mione."

"Maybe. I'll let you know," she answered.

"Well, I'll be there, Harry," Ginny said taking his hand. He smiled at her and pulled her into a hug.

"And, I'll be at yours as well," he responded. Ginny beamed.

Ginny made contact with Harry as often as possible throughout their meal. She would grab his leg, or caress his hand, lean over and give him a kiss, rub his shoulder – anything to keep the contact going. She knew that she was getting to him when Harry shot her a very serious look when they were halfway through dessert. He grabbed her hand, which at this point was rubbing the inside of his left thigh, and put it back on her own leg.

She giggled, and Ron looked at her puzzled. Hermione just laughed, too, imagining what Ginny had been up to.

After dinner, the foursome parted at the top of the stairs in the Hog's Head and moved towards their respective rooms for the night.

Once Harry had closed and locked their door, Ginny had him pressed up against it, attacking his lips with her own. She ran her hands along his stomach as she flung his shirt up and over his head. His glasses landed somewhere on the floor as well as he fumbled her backwards until her legs hit the bed. They laughed as their lips and teeth banged together in their attempt to get rid of their clothes and climb into the huge bed.

Harry caught her around her waist and slowed them down. He looked at her glorious body and kissed Ginny.

"We're not doing this quickly this time. Nice and slow," he said, laughing and panting at the same time.

"Hmm…I'll try, but your body does crazy things to me," Ginny said. Harry smiled and bent down again, capturing her lips.

"I think I can get used to this," he said giving her a wicked grin.

"Oh, I've only just begun," she said softly and proceeded to show him what she meant. She pushed him back on the bed and snaked kisses down his chest murmuring "mine" in between every kiss as she went. It was a heady thing for Harry to hear her 'claim' him as hers. He loved it, and showed her into the early morning hours just how much he loved it.

"Ginny, concentrate!" Hermione yelled at her as they sat in the Common Room reviewing once again.

"I'm trying!" Ginny responded, snapping her head up.

"All you've done for the past fifteen minutes was sit there with that crazy grin on your face and staring into the fireplace!"

"Okay!" Ginny said, sheepishly. "But, it was a great weekend."

Hermione chuckled. "I guess so!" The girls smiled at each other, but got back to studying.

_**22 April**_

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**I've spent the last four days trying to become coherent after that amazing weekend. My God, I thought that I worshipped you before, that was nothing compared to what I feel for you now.**_

_**And it's not just because of what we did, it's because you let yourself be with me. It felt like you were forgiving yourself a little, that we were taking a step forward together, and that was amazing. **_

_**Although, you screaming my name and saying "mine" all weekend didn't hurt either. Am I ever going to stop thinking about this past weekend, or grinning like an idiot? I seriously doubt it. Wow.**_

_**I've tried numerous times over the past four days to review for my tests, but it's no good. Inevitably, my thoughts always lead me back to you, and then I can't get the picture out of my head of you in the shower, your hair wet and the soap bubbles running down your fingertips. **_

_**Do you see what I mean?! I can't even write you a letter without getting sidetracked! Lord, help me.**_

_**I love you, and I will see you soon.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Harry**_

Hermione approached the door to her dorm and heard Ginny laughing her head off. Hermione stood outside the door for a minute enjoying the sound. It had been so long since Ginny had really laughed, and Hermione was grateful to whatever divine intervention that happened to help her friend forgive herself and help her to move on.

Hermione turned the knob and entered the room, and Ginny quickly tucked the letter under her covers.

"Oh, Hermione, it's you," Ginny said, taking out her letter from Harry once again.

"Hey, Ginny, you alright?"

"Yeah, I've just had a letter from Harry, and he cracks me up."

"So, you two had a good time this weekend, huh?" Hermione asked and smirked.

"Unbelievably good, Hermione. My God, that man is amazing. I would do absolutely anything for him."

Hermione laughed. "Well, it may be better if you didn't let him know that."

Ginny laughed along with her. "I think it's too late for that…"

"So, you guys have given up on waiting until the wedding then?" Hermione asked.

"No, we're still sticking with that right now. We're kind of doing everything but," Ginny responded, smirking again.

"Oh!" Hermione said, blushing furiously. "Well, okay then." She clearly didn't know what else to add.

Ginny smiled and shook her head at her uptight best friend. She hoped that Ron got her to loosen up a little bit eventually.

_**27 April**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**Thank you for making me laugh – I haven't done enough of that lately. You're letter was fantastic! It's so good to know that I haven't been the only one unable to focus on anything since last weekend. Trust me, Hermione is getting a little annoyed that I can't concentrate and that I have the sappiest expression on my face constantly. **_

_**But, as she says, at least I'm happier now.**_

_**And, I am, love, thanks to you. I feel myself coming back to life. **_

_**You are mine and will always be mine. I love you and will see you in less then two weeks!**_

_**Gin**_

At Grimmauld Place, Harry held her letter in his hands, running through every single second of last weekend for what felt like the millionth time. He had never expected anything at all like that to happen. He was just hoping for some alone time with Ginny so that they could start rebuilding their very fragile relationship.

The fact that she was able to give herself to him in a physical way again made Harry so happy. Not because of the pleasure it gave him (although that was a nice bonus), but because it was a sign that Ginny was finally moving past the pain of losing pea. But, Harry didn't delude himself into thinking that either one of them would ever be the same. Conceiving and then losing pea was something that had changed both of them in a very real way. But, this past weekend lead Harry to believe that they were going to come through the pain and maybe even be stronger together because of it.

They had both "grown up" in the past seven months, and done it quickly. The fact that they were so young and hadn't reached the emotional maturity of other couples that this happened to didn't help them. Ginny had proven this by shutting herself off from the people who loved her, and Harry by not being there for her no matter what she said. He knew now that he should have gone to Hogwarts and demanded that Ginny talk to him. She probably would have ranted and raved at him and been irate, but at least she would have believed that she wasn't alone, and that he loved her. Harry would never forgive himself for not going to her immediately.

He sighed and folded the letter again.

"It's really very simple," he said to himself. "I have to forgive her for shutting me out and forgive myself for not being there with her. We move forward together and I try to make her happy for the rest of our lives. I love her."

He nodded and took out his text and began reviewing.


	9. May

**MAY**

"Hermione, what is it?!" Ginny yelled. She had entered the dorm to find her best friend thrown across her bed in a fit of tears. "Please, tell me what's wrong! Is it Harry? Ron?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Hermione answered, wiping her eyes and sitting up. "Sorry, Gin."

"What happened?" Gin asked more gently.

"I think I failed my Potions NEWT," she answered quietly, feeling a little ridiculous.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Hermione, the test just ended!" she said, laughing at her friend. "It's going to be a long summer if you start this now."

"Sorry," Hermione said, smiling a little herself.

"I was there, too, and it looked like you were doing just fine. Come on, let's go get some lunch," Ginny suggested.

"Okay."

The girls went to the Great Hall, joining up with a group of their friends on the way down the staircase. Hermione and a fellow Potions student had their heads bent together discussing the test that they had just finished, and Ginny just shook her head and laughed. She knew that Hermione wasn't going to let this go until she knew that she had done well.

Ginny was glad that there wasn't a NEWT for Magical Maladies and Cures, her elective. She had finished that end of term test early this week, so at least that was one less class to worry about.

Ginny and Hermione sat their Transfiguration NEWT that afternoon and Ginny felt that she had done well. Hermione tried to discuss the test as soon as they left the classroom, but Ginny just held up her hand.

"Please, Hermione!" Ginny said. "I can't go over the test again. I need a break, okay?"

"Okay." Hermione said, distracted. Her eyes immediately roamed over the crowd exiting the Great Hall, and found Professor McGonagall. She excused herself and made her way over to the Professor to grill her about the test. Ginny smiled and headed to the Common Room to relax a while.

_**6 May**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**Well, the first day is done, thank God. I had two tests today and I think that they went pretty well. Definitely Transfiguration went better then Potions, but I was never really great at potions, anyway. **_

_**I have Charms and DADA on Monday, but I'm not really too worried about them. Hermione has been great in reviewing with me, so I am pretty confident. She is driving me a bit mad about these tests, I must admit. As soon as we're finished, she wants to go over every question – knowing full well that she scored off the charts. I actually found her in hysterics this morning because she thought she failed Potions. Can you believe that?**_

_**How were your tests today? I was thinking about you – but then again, I always am. I'm sure that you did so well. **_

_**I can't wait to see you on Sunday. I got permission from McGonagall to floo to the Burrow, and then my family and I will go to the Ministry together, so I will meet you there, okay?**_

_**I love you.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Ginny**_

Harry's day had been much more rigorous then Ginny's had been. The testing began at 9:00 this morning with the written portion of the test. This part lasted two hours, and then the students were given a lunch break.

"Harry, what did you think?" Ron asked.

"Dunno," Harry said. "It was tough, though, huh?"

"Yeah, bloody difficult," Ron answered. "But, I'm glad that part's over. This afternoon should be a little better, yeah?"

"I guess so," Harry replied, uncertain. "Let's go eat."

"Definitely," Ron said, smiling - the thought of food cheering him considerably.

The afternoon portion of the test – the practical portion – was indeed better then the first part. Whenever Harry got to use spells and jinxes instead of just writing about them, he was in his element.

The test's proctor addressed the ten trainees and said, "Each of you will receive an owl tomorrow morning informing you of your test results. Those who passed _both_ the written and practical portions of the test will receive your graduation invitations along with your results. Graduation will take place here at the Ministry at noon on Sunday. Good luck to you all."

Each perspective Auror entered the Practice Room alone and was timed to see how long it took for them to get through the room's numerous obstacles, with a maximum allowable limit of twenty minutes.

Of course, the trainees weren't allowed to watch as the others completed their tasks, so they waited in the anteroom while the tests were administered. Once the tasks were done, the trainees left by another door so that they couldn't share with the others the things they had to face in the Practice Room.

Three trainees were called in slow succession, and Harry and Ron kept glancing at each other nervously. Every so often they would hear a tremendous "boom" come from the room, and once they heard a deep, guttural scream which made Ron's face drain of all color.

The door to the Practice Room opened again, "Ronald Weasley," the proctor called.

Ron turned to Harry with a look of absolute fear in his eyes, and Harry smiled at him.

"Ron, don't worry, you're going to be brilliant," Harry said. "You are _so_ ready for this."

Ron gave Harry a tentative smile. "Thanks mate, good luck."

Harry nodded. "You, too. I'll owl you when I get home and we'll go out tonight to celebrate."

"Yeah, okay," Ron replied. Harry took it as a good sign that he was no longer green as he entered the Practice Room with his wand at the ready.

Three other trainees went through the test before Harry's name was called. He walked into the Practice Room without looking back at the others, and pulled out his wand, confident, ready for anything.

He was told to stand in the square marked in the middle of the floor. Harry went to the square and stood, waiting.

The proctor said, "Mr. Potter, you understand that you have twenty minutes to make it through the obstacles in this room, correct?"

"Yes, sir," Harry answered.

"Once you complete a task, the scene will disappear and another will take its place. There will be four scenarios total for this test. Do you understand?" the proctor asked.

"Yes, sir," Harry repeated.

"Very well, good luck," the proctor finished as the room went black. Harry took a deep breath and waited, his eyes looking everywhere at once.

The one place he _wasn't_ looking was at the floor, and when it dropped out from underneath him Harry was suddenly falling through space. He gulped hard to stifle the scream that nearly escaped his lips. Harry looked around frantically for something to grab hold of, but there was nothing but blackness surrounding him.

He finally landed, hard, in an abandoned warehouse of sorts. He was surrounded by boxes piled to the ceiling, in long dark rows. Out of breath, he got up and looked around, but saw nothing. Was he supposed to walk around or wait until something or someone approached him? He decided that he should move, being in the same place for too long in the Practice Room was never a good idea. So Harry began moving forward, all the time looking around him for something, anything.

Harry turned, and stared into the yellow eyes of something growling at him. He ducked as a flash of red light was sent in his direction, and moved behind a box as the curse shot passed perilously close to his left ear. He peered around the box, trying to see what was attacking him, but he saw only blackness – not even the yellow eyes were glowing anymore.

"Shit," he said under his breath. He pointed his wand, "Lumos Maxima," he shouted, and the immediate area surrounding Harry was bathed in bright light.

Seeing the thing that was attacking him didn't make Harry feel any better. It was a creature that he had never seen before. It was half man and half beast of some kind, standing upright, covered in fur, with arms like a man but enormous! It was advancing on Harry down the corridor of boxes, taking cover as much as it could, but coming forward quickly, surprisingly agile for its size.

"Expelliarmus," Harry cried, pointing at the beast, but it was too quick for that. It had ducked just in time and the spell glanced past him without harm.

"Confrigo," the monster bellowed, and Harry ducked his head once again as the box behind him exploded, raining particles of glass down on Harry. He stayed where he was and watched carefully for the monster to move – Harry knew it was only a matter or time, and he was rewarded quickly.

The hairy half-man ducked out from behind his box and tried to advance on Harry once again, but this time Harry was ready.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry screamed, pointing his wand. Immediately, the creature's arms and legs were locked against its side and it fell backwards onto the stone floor with a loud crash.

"Incarcerous," Harry said and thick ropes flew from the end of his wand, wrapping the beast from head to toe as it struggled to break free of the spells. Harry bent down and took its wand, effectively ending the first task.

The scene disappeared in front of him and Harry found himself in the small square in the middle of the Practice Room once again. He barely had time to catch his breath when he heard the proctor say,

"Four minutes have elapsed, Mr. Potter, you have sixteen minutes for the remaining three tasks."

"Okay," Harry said.

The room went dark once again, and Harry stood straight up, scanning the area for what was coming for him. The scene shimmered before Harry's eyes and before he could comprehend what was happening, his feet left the floor and he began choking on a mouthful of water.

He looked around, and he thought he was back in the Black Lake. He was under water and it was dark and cold. He broke the surface and turned. Seeing nothing, he took off his glasses immediately aimed his wand at them and said, "impervius." At least now he would be able to see under water. He used the bubble head charm on himself and ducked back under the water, certain that whatever he had to face wouldn't be on the water's surface.

He didn't have to wait long. He was swiftly being pulled down deep into the water by something that he couldn't see. Once again, he said, "lumos," and saw a grouping of merman pulling him under. They looked menacing and had a tight grip on his legs, his torso and one had a tight hold on his neck. Harry yelled, "stupefy," and hit three of them, and they immediately let go.

He kept going deeper down in the water, thankful that he could still breathe, the bubble head charm working well. He tried "stupefy" once again, but this time the mermen were prepared and dodged the spell. He screamed "ascendio," a spell that had worked well for him during the second task, and he managed to shake off two more of the mermen including the one holding his neck, but continued being pulled down deeper instead of rising.

Harry was now facing just two others mermen as he descended deeper and deeper. The water was becoming colder and darker, and Harry had no idea how long the bubble head charm was going to last – and he was aware of the minutes slipping by quickly. He tried again,

"Repello! Confundo!" he shouted. "Petrificus Totalus! Impedimenta!" He tried any spell he could think of to shake them off, panic beginning to cripple him.

It worked. The final merman was thrown off of him, and immediately Harry shouted, "ascendio" and shot upwards, his legs, stomach and neck aching from where the mermen had been gripping them. He saw a faint light above him and knew that he was getting closer to the surface. He hoped that he didn't waste a lot of time on this task – he still had two more to get through.

Once his head broke the surface of the water, Harry was back on the square again, his clothes dry. He fell to the floor, sputtering, taking a minute to rub his aching legs before rising.

The proctor said, "Seven minutes elapsed during the second task, Mr. Potter. You have nine minutes remaining for the final two tasks."

"Yes, sir," Harry said getting nervous now. He had wasted more then half of his minutes on two tasks that should have been much easier for him at this point. He wondered what was coming next.

The room darkened and this time, Harry didn't feel himself falling or bobbing in water. He remained where he was, silent, listening hard. He heard a rustling near his left side and the room suddenly became ice cold. He knew instantly what this meant.

Harry turned and the dementor was so close, Harry could have reached out his hand and touched him. Another floated up behind the first and began approaching Harry. The creatures sucked in hard and Harry became dizzy, a faint woman's scream echoing in his head. He aimed his wand and tried "riddikulus" thinking that maybe the testers had sent in a boggart. No such luck.

Harry backed up a bit, and pointed his wand at the dementor's head, trying to ignore his Mum's screams that invaded his mind. Harry had plenty of happy memories to choose from now, thanks in large part to Ginny. Instinctively, Harry conjured memories of their last weekend together, Ginny's smile floating before his eyes, and he screamed, "Expecto Patronum!"

His stag patronus erupted out of Harry's wand, very bright and very defined, and galloped swiftly towards the dementors unrelentingly, circling them. The creatures immediately retreated up and away from Harry, and the stag cantered around the room once, making sure that there were no other enemies and came back to Harry's side, dipped his head once and disappeared.

The room was instantly bathed in bright light, and Harry blinked to clear his vision.

"Very good, Mr. Potter - three minutes elapsed for the third task. You have six minutes remaining for the final task."

"Yes, sir," Harry answered, preparing himself.

This time, the lights remained on, and Harry glanced around, uncertain. A pool of black smoke swirled in the corner of the room, and rising from it was an image of Lord Voldemort.

Harry braced himself, faced the image and said, "I guess we duel." The fake Voldemort nodded and bowed, giving Harry an evil grin.

Harry bowed as well, and lifted his wand pointing it directly at Voldemort's heart.

The duo circled around each other, Voldemort coming closer as they moved around the room.

Voldemort said, "We meet again, Harry," then screamed, "Avada Kedavra," at the same time Harry screamed, "protego" and Voldemort's spell was deflected expertly by Harry's powerful shield.

"Expelliarmus," Harry yelled, but Voldemort danced around the spell, taunting Harry all the while. "You have to do better then that, Harry. Your father would not have approved of your weak ways."

"Levicorpus!" Harry yelled and Voldemort was instantly dangling in the air by his ankle. The imitation Voldemort was taken by surprise by this move, as he suddenly stopped smiling at Harry and became infuriated. Harry couldn't help but smile at the sight of Voldemort hanging upside down.

He pointed his wand at Harry and screamed, "crucio" but this time Harry avoided the spell easily. Harry yelled, "rictumsempra!" and stood back, waiting, having a bit of fun with this final task. Voldemort's image began to shake. Giggles escaped his lips, his eyes still full of hate, and then the image was in a bout of full-fledged laughter against his will.

"Expelliarmus," Harry said again, Voldemort's wand flying in an arc across the room and into Harry's hands. Once Voldemort was disarmed the task was ended and Voldemort's image disappeared back into the swirl of black smoke.

"Excellent, Mr. Potter," the proctor said. "Two minutes remain on the clock for your tasks. Congratulations, you have passed this portion of your test. You will receive an owl in the morning with the results of your written exam."

"Thank you," Harry said and walked towards the exit, exultant.

He walked in a daze back to the Ministry's atrium, smiling uncontrollably and grabbed a handful of floo powder from the open-ended urns. Instead of going home, Harry flooed directly to the Burrow, wanting to talk to Ron and see how he had done.

"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley said as he emerged from the fireplace, "What a surprise! How did your tests go?"

"Fine, I think, Mrs. Weasley, thanks. Is Ron here?"

"Harry!" Ron said, coming down the stairs.

"How did you do?" Harry asked without preamble.

"I passed! I had nearly a minute left when it was done," Ron answered.

"Brilliant!" Harry said. "Can you believe we had to duel with Voldemort?"

"What?" Ron said, confused. "I didn't have to face Voldemort."

"You didn't?" Harry said. "They must have had different tasks for each of us then."

"Yeah," Ron said. "Did you have to face a giant?"

"No, a dementor, though," said Harry. "What else did you have?"

The friends spent the next hour retelling the four tasks that they had to face and what spells they used for each of them. Then, they decided to pop to the Leaky Cauldron for a few drinks to celebrate passing at least half of their exam.

They met Dean and Seamus there, and the foursome spent hours laughing, drinking and celebrating their half-victories. At 2:00 AM, Harry flooed home and stumbled up the stairs, feeling very happy for the time being. He would have to see what tomorrow brought when the Ministry owl arrived with his written results.

Nursing a fantastic headache the next morning, Harry sat quietly in the library with a huge mug of tea and nibbling on a scone when he heard a tapping on the window. He turned and saw an unfamiliar owl with a large envelope tied to his leg. Harry let the bird in and saw the large "M" monogram that denoted the Ministry of Magic. He gave the owl a few treats and let him back out of the window, but before he could fully close the latch, Harry noticed Helena flying towards him. A smile broke over his face and he waited until she flew through the window and deposited her envelope to shut the latch securely. Harry ran his hand through the owl's feathers lightly while she nibbled at the treats in his hand.

He decided to read Ginny's letter first, and was happy that he did. She never failed to make him smile. He couldn't wait to see her at graduation tomorrow - which immediately brought Harry's mind back to the other envelope awaiting his attention. He put down Gin's letter and picked up the ivory colored envelope and turned it over, his hands suddenly shaky.

_**7 May**_

_**Dear Mr. Potter:**_

_**Congratulations, you have successfully passed both portions of your Final Auror Examinations conducted on Friday, 6 May. **_

_**You received a 96/100 on your written exam, and a 9/10 for your practical portion of the exam, the highest scores received of any trainee this year.**_

_**Included herein are your graduation invitations, please make sure that each of your guests have one for entry. As you know, graduation is slated to begin promptly at noon tomorrow, 8 May, at the Ministry. Please report to the Practice Room no later then 11:30AM.**_

_**I will be contacting you late next week to arrange an appointment to discuss your future endeavors with the Ministry.**_

_**Again, please accept our sincere congratulations on this most auspicious accomplishment.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Kingsley Shacklebolt**_

_**Minister of Magic**_

A grin spread slowly over Harry's face as he read through the letter twice more. Not only did he pass, but had the highest grades of any of the trainees. Harry was stunned – he had never been the best student by far – that honor usually went to Hermione.

Before he had time to properly process this information, Pig was tapping on his window looking at Harry. He smiled as he opened the window and the owl flew in. Harry untied his letter and Pig was with Helena in the cage that Harry kept here for her, hooting happily and nibbling on her treats.

_**Harry:**_

_**I did it! I passed! How did you do? **_

_**Ron**_

Harry laughed as he scribbled on the bottom of the same parchment:

_**Congratulations, mate! I passed as well. I am sending my invitations back with Pig so that your family can use them tomorrow. See you at the Ministry at 11:30AM.**_

_**Harry**_

Harry took the invitations out of his envelope, folded the note around them and refastened the parchment to Pig's leg. The owl nipped at Harry's fingers affectionately and flew out the window towards the Burrow.

Ginny arrived at the Burrow at 10:00AM on Sunday morning, Hermione in tow. It took Ginny most of Saturday to convince Hermione that she absolutely HAD to come with her. How could she miss Ron's graduation – she would never forgive herself. Hermione conceded, but insisted on bringing her Charms text with her. Ginny just shook her head but let the subject drop.

Ginny showered quickly and changed into a dress for the occasion. Her hair was shining as she brushed it thoroughly and clamped a pin into it, holding her bangs back from her eyes. She grabbed her camera and a light sweater and met the others downstairs.

"Oh, Ron," Ginny began, a look of surprise on her face, "I never gave it a thought! Are we going to have enough tickets for everyone to get in?"

"Yeah," he replied, "Harry sent over his with Pig yesterday, so we have enough now."

Ginny nodded, sorry that Harry couldn't share his accomplishments with his family.

It took some doing to get the entire Weasley clan to the Ministry on time. They had to floo in pairs, so by the time they were all assembled, it was nearly noon. Ron and Ginny had flooed first, Ginny hoping to catch a glimpse of Harry before the ceremony, but he wasn't in the atrium when she arrived.

Ron headed to the Practice Room where the trainees were assembling, and Ginny waited for her family before they all took their seats in the Ministry Hall.

There were eight seats set up on the stage facing the crowded room, along with four seats for the Professors. The Weasley's managed to find seats towards the front, although they had to split up. Ginny was on the aisle, four rows from the stage with Hermione next to her.

Promptly at noon, the entrance hymn began, and everyone rose from their seats. The trainees were in a line walking to the stage, preceded by their Professors and the Minister himself.

Ginny couldn't tear her eyes away from Harry. He looked amazing, and so happy. She was so unbelievably proud of him. She covered her mouth with her hands and the tears prickled at her eyes. He locked eyes with her and he smiled, glad that she was there.

The trainees wore black robes and red sashes, all except Harry – his sash was gold. Ginny wondered why his color was different from the others as she grabbed her camera and began clicking away.

Once the assembly had returned to their seats, Minister Shacklebolt addressed the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, welcome. Behind me sit eight extremely talented and well-prepared men and women. I have followed their progress this year very closely, and I can honestly say that I have never been more proud of our trainees and more hopeful for the future of the Ministry. I have every confidence that the eight people you see behind me will one day run this Ministry, and do it well.

"I would like to begin by giving out the special awards for three well-deserving students. The first is given to the trainee that has displayed vast improvement in his skills since enrolling in our program. When this trainee first came to us, he was nervous and unsure of his abilities, but over the past eight months has improved beyond measure, and had the fourth highest marks on the final examinations. This award is being presented to Seamus Finnegan. Mr. Finnegan?"

A loud spattering of applause went up as Seamus accepted the award from the Minister, shook his hand as well as each of his Professors' and returned to his seat, beaming.

"The second award is being presented to the trainee who has demonstrated acts of extreme courage and valor. This award is not given lightly or often. It is reserved for those who are undeniably loyal and honest and have a special skill for spellwork. This trainee received the third highest marks on his examinations, and it gives me great pleasure to present this award to Mr. Ronald Weasley. Mr. Weasley?"

A loud scream could be heard from Mrs. Weasley as Ron looked around, unsure that he had just heard his name. Harry elbowed him in the ribs and clapped him on the back, and Ron finally got off his chair and approached the Minister for his award. Ginny and Hermione were out of their chairs and clapping enthusiastically as Ron took his award, and he smiled as Ginny took his picture.

The Minister continued when the applause for Ron had died down.

"And the final award is being presented to the trainee that earned the highest grades on the final examinations. This year, this award takes on special meaning because not only did this trainee earn the highest marks, but he also is one of the finest people that I have ever met. I have known this trainee for nearly five years now, and he never fails to surprise or amaze me. He was given an impossible task that no one else could have accomplished, and not because of a prophesy, but because of his undeniable and unmatched talents."

At this, Ginny covered her mouth and stared at Harry, who was looking at the ground. Kingsley continued,

"This trainee faced the darkest wizard that the world has ever witnessed, a wizard that went as bad as it's possible to go. Not once, but numerous times. And he did it for us – to save the wizarding world and the people that he loved. I have never come across a person as unselfish and giving of himself as this award recipient, and it is my great privilege to also call him my friend. Ladies and gentlemen, please congratulate Mr. Harry Potter."

The applause was deafening. Harry slowly rose from his chair and approached the Minister as the crowd continued their applause. Ginny had tears streaming down her face – she had never been more proud in her life. She held Hermione's hand as they watched Harry.

"Take his picture, Gin," Hermione reminded her. Ginny snapped as many as she could. Harry was brought into a fierce hug by the Minister, and shook hands with his Professors before returning to his seat. Ron gave him a clap on the back when Harry sat again and they smiled at each other. Harry looked at Ginny and winked as she beamed at him.

Harry and Ron received their Auror certificates and Ministry badges after that, along with the other six graduates. Ginny felt like she had taken a million pictures. She tossed the camera to Bill as she flew into Harry's arms once the trainees were allowed to go. Harry drew her up and kissed her deeply.

"Congratulations, love," she whispered to him. "I'm so proud of you."

He smiled, "Thanks." He brought Ginny back into a hug and they stayed there, swaying gently until Mrs. Weasley demanded her turn with him, and he released Ginny reluctantly.

The family flooed back to the Burrow and had a massive party to celebrate this very happy occasion. Ron passed his award around to anyone in the vicinity, and Harry smiled when he even approached Aunt Muriel and showed her, too.

Harry sat on the couch and looked around him, happy to be among the people that he loved most in the world. He saw Bill and Fleur laughing with Charlie, Percy was handing Ron and Hermione their drinks, Mrs. Weasley was running around making sure that everyone had something to eat, Mr. Weasley was playing Exploding Snap with Teddy, George was holed up in the corner snogging Angelina, and Ginny was right where she was supposed to be, by Harry's side.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I don't think I could be more perfect then I am right now," Harry smiled down at her. She lifted her head and kissed him.

"I love you, Harry. I can't believe you got high marks!"

"I was shocked, too. They told me yesterday when I got my owl, but I had no idea I'd be getting an award for it." He laced his fingers through hers.

"You deserve it, especially after everything we went through this year, and you still managed to be the best. It's amazing," Ginny said.

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding to his best friend. "I'm happy for Ron, too."

Ginny smiled. "He's a bit proud, huh?"

"Yeah, just a little, but he deserves it. You should see him, Gin. He's really amazing at spells. We learned to master nonverbal spells, and even worked on spells without our wands, and Ron's a natural."

"Well, he had a great teacher – we all did," she smiled up at him. "Why do you think that I'm not worried about DADA tomorrow? After Dumbledore's Army, what could they throw at me that I can't handle?"

"Nothing that I can think of," he said. "What time do you have to go back?"

"In an hour," Ginny replied, solemn.

"Can we go for a walk then?"

She didn't answer, she just pulled Harry up and they left through the back door, heading towards the orchard.

Harry told Ginny about the final examinations and the tasks that he had to face. He told her about the dementor and using images of her from their weekend in Hogsmeade to produce his stag and she smiled. She was glad that it was her that gave him his happiest memories, memories that enabled him to produce a powerful patronus. He asked her about her exams on Friday and then two coming up tomorrow.

"Wait!" Ginny suddenly stopped and turned to Harry. "You're telling me that you can do spells without having your wand?"

"Yeah," he replied, smiling. "Not every spell, but right now we can do the basic ones. We're supposed to focus on improving our skills there, though. The instructors want us to be prepared in case we've been disarmed and bound, so we can still save ourselves."

"Wow," Ginny responded, slightly awed. "You're going to have to teach me how to do that."

"Sure," he replied. "It takes a while, and a lot of concentration, but it's worth it." Ginny nodded.

They talked about a million things, and sometimes just walked, saying nothing. They walked around the orchard slowly, returning to the Burrow in time for Ginny and Hermione to say goodbye to the Weasley's and floo back to McGonagall's office. Ginny gave Harry a brief hug and kiss as her family looked on. "Good luck tomorrow, and I'll see you on Tuesday. I love you," he said.

"Thanks, I love you, too. See you Tuesday," and Ginny was gone. Hermione disappeared a minute later.

As soon as Ginny and Hermione returned to the castle, Hermione dove into her books. Ginny shook her head at her best friend. Ginny headed up to the dorms to get some sleep before the tests tomorrow.

As predicted, Ginny and Hermione had no trouble with either NEWT the following day. Hermione insisted that she failed miserably and Ginny just rolled her eyes, too happy that the tests were over to give in to Hermione's fears.

The pair spent the rest of the day gathering their belongings and packing up their trunks. "Hermione, this is the last time we're going to do this," Ginny said, seriously. "It really just hit me that we're not coming back here again."

"I know what you mean, Gin," Hermione replied. "I was thinking of that, too. It's really sad isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ginny said. "Some of the best times I ever had were in this castle, and some of the worst, too," she finished softly, picking up pea's rattle from her bedside. Hermione came over to Ginny's bed and sat there with her. Ginny laid her head against Hermione's shoulder and closed her eyes.

"It's going to be alright, Gin," Hermione said. "I know that you and Harry will be okay."

"I know we will, but we'll never be the same."

"Maybe you'll be even better," Hermione answered. Ginny smiled and got up from her bed.

"Come on, let's finish so we can go down to our last supper." Hermione smiled at the reference and nodded, returning to her trunk.

The next day dawned bright and beautiful. Sunshine filled the dorms as the seventh years got ready to take part in their graduation ceremonies. Ginny looked down from their window onto the grounds as it began to fill with people.

"There are so many people out there, Hermione."

Her friend came to the window to peer down. "Wow," Hermione said. "I hope my parents made it alright."

"Ron was going to fetch them, wasn't he?"

"Yeah," Hermione replied, still unsure.

Ginny chuckled. "They'll be fine. You look really nice!"

"Thanks, you too! Are you ready to go downstairs?" asked Hermione.

"I guess so," Ginny said, taking a last look around.

The trunks had already been taken down to Hogsmeade Station, and the girls kept out only what they would need for the night. The Hogwarts Express would take the final run home tomorrow morning with the seventh years - the rest of the students had left on Friday. The castle was eerily quiet with just the seventh years and the Professors in residence.

The pair entered the Great Hall and was lined up alphabetically, Ginny naturally at the back of the line. The students filed out of the hall, marching to a beautiful hymn and were seated on the great lawn, thankfully under an enormous tent. It was quite comfortable under there, even though the sun was blazing overhead. Ginny craned her neck, trying to find Harry or her family but having no luck whatsoever.

Disappointed, she turned back around and tried to pay attention to Headmistress McGonagall's speech. When she felt a light tap on her shoulder, and she turned to find Harry crouched down, smiling at her.

"Hi, love," he said, kissing her briefly.

"Hey!" she replied, smiling at him. "Where are you sitting? Are you with my family?"

"Yes, and we're right back there," Harry said pointing a few rows back to her family that were waving and smiling at her. She waved back and laughed.

"Don't let them embarrass me, Harry," Ginny said.

"Umm…I don't know if I can stop that, Gin," he said laughing softly. "I'll see you later, I love you and you look beautiful."

"I love you, too, see you later."

An hour later, after numerous speeches and awards (three awards alone were given to Hermione for outstanding achievement, highest marks in the class and contributions to the school), the ceremony was over and Ginny and Hermione were no longer students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The pair stood embracing each other and laughing happily with their classmates until Ginny was grabbed from behind and lips found the back of her neck. She spun around and was pulled into a tight hug by Harry.

"Congratulations! Can you believe it?" Harry said.

"No, I can't – it's really over, huh?" The rest of the Weasley clan caught up with them then, and Ginny was surrounded by her family and crushed by hugs for the next few minutes. Harry found Hermione and congratulated her and stood with her, her parents and Ron as he watched Ginny.

Harry wrapped his arm around Ginny as everyone walked back up to the castle to enjoy the celebratory feast that had been prepared. The four house tables were set beautifully and everyone found a seat together as the food appeared before them and they dug in hungrily.

The families began making their way to Hogsmeade Village so that they could apparate home, and Ginny walked there with Harry and her family. One by one they hugged Ginny and disappeared with loud pops being heard everywhere.

"This is for you, honey. Congratulations," Mr. Weasley said as he handed Ginny a long, slender box wrapped in red. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad, I love you," Ginny responded, pulling him into a hug.

"I love you, too." He pulled away and kissed her briefly and he and Mrs. Weasley were gone with a pop.

Eventually, it was just Harry left standing with her, and he folded her into his arms once again. She closed her eyes and smiled, glad to have a minute alone with him.

"I'm so proud of you, congratulations," Harry whispered to her.

"Thank you," Ginny replied. "I wish I could go home with you now it seems so dumb to be stuck here for another night."

"It'll go fast, and I'll meet you at the train tomorrow."

"Okay." She released Harry and kissed him gently.

"This is for you," Harry said and handed her an envelope, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank you, I love you."

Harry smiled and was gone with a "pop."

Ginny and Hermione walked back to the castle together and sat in the Common Room with their friends, gossiping and laughing, enjoying their last night at the castle.

Three hours later, Ginny went up to bed, leaving her friends in the Common Room. She had forgotten all about the presents that her father and Harry had given her, and she sat on her bed and opened her Dad's first.

He had given her a beautiful necklace with a small butterfly pendant, the wings made of mother of pearl. It was beautiful and delicate and Ginny reached up and fastened it easily. She was reminded instantly of the last time she had worn a necklace – when Harry had fastened the mother, father and child pendant around her neck at Christmas. She shook her head, trying to dispel the reminder of pea with no success. She looked over and at the silver rattle that still sat on the table by her bed.

She reached for Harry's envelope and a letter from Harry was the first thing that she pulled from it.

_**10 May**_

_**Gin:**_

_**Congratulations, my love. I am so incredibly proud of you. I hope that you enjoy your last night in the castle, and know that I am thinking of you. I am always thinking of you.**_

_**It took me forever to come up with a graduation gift for you. I kept rejecting all of my ideas – they weren't good enough. Then, I was thinking of our wedding for the eight hundredth time and it came to me.**_

_**So, this gift isn't strictly for you – it's for you and me to share – I hope that's okay.**_

_**There aren't enough words, Gin, to even begin to tell you how much I love you. **_

_**I hope you like the gift, and I will see you tomorrow.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Harry**_

Ginny smiled as she reached in the envelope. She pulled out a thick stack of papers that didn't make sense to her at first. She was looking at images from places she had never been. Then, she found the tickets, and it all clicked. Harry had planned their honeymoon, and was giving it to Ginny as a gift.

She was stunned. She laid the sheets on her bed as flat as she could make them, and began going through them one by one. The day after their wedding, August 2, they were flying to Egypt and spending three days seeing the pyramids, then fly to Athens and spend a week touring Greece and Santorini, then they fly to Paris and tour there for four days, then they are off to Barcelona where they explore Spain for four days and end in Venice where they will spend ten days touring Italy.

It sounded like heaven to Ginny. But, then of course, anywhere that she could be with Harry was okay with her. Nearly a month together alone on their honeymoon – perfection – she couldn't have asked for anything more.

"Harry, you're amazing! Thank you!" Ginny shouted as she flew into his arms the next day. The Hogwarts Express had just quieted, and Ginny was flying down the platform in search of Harry. It didn't take her long to find him as he was running towards her as well.

He laughed. "You're welcome – I'm glad you like it!" he replied as he kissed her soundly. They headed back to her compartment to collect her trunk and Helena's cage, talking animatedly all the while about the trip he had planned.

"It's unreal, we're going to have such a good time," she said, smiling at him.

"We always do," he said as they apparated back to the Burrow to have a proper graduation party for Ginny.

Her family was all there to help her celebrate, and they all stayed until early the next morning laughing, drinking and telling old stories. Harry loved just sitting back and listening to the Weasley's tease each other and interact together – it was one of his favorite things to do. The depth of their love for each other was something that never ceased to amaze him – and he was going to be a member of this family very soon – he was so lucky.

Harry received his owl from Kingsley late the following week and their meeting was set for June 2. Harry loved that he had at least two more weeks of freedom to spend with Ginny. They spent the remainder of May alternating between her house and his, sitting by the lake, watching movies, stuffing and mailing wedding invitations, playing Quidditch with her brothers and taking long walks.

_**31 May**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**Have I said 'thank you' lately? Well, let me say it right now. Please know that even if I don't always say it out loud, I am always thinking it. I am so thankful for you. I have no idea what I've done in my life to deserve you, but I am so glad that you're mine.**_

_**I will always be yours, Harry. Always.**_

_**Thank you for loving me, for letting me share your life. I can't wait to begin our lives together. **_

_**I was sitting here thinking of you, and realized that I missed our letters. I loved writing to you and thinking of you reading my words, your reactions to them, picturing the smile on your face.**_

_**I want to kiss your beautiful lips, trace your long eyelashes with my fingers, kiss your strong jaw, get lost in your deep, green eyes.**_

_**I'm overwhelmed by my love for you.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Gin**_


	10. June

**JUNE**

The next morning, Harry sat back with Ginny's letter in his hands and shook his head, smiling, thinking about how far they had come in the past ten months. He thought back to September when he saw her off on the Hogwarts Express – they seemed so young then. He felt like he had aged 10 years in the past 10 months – they had been through so much. The emotional turmoil was something that he never wanted to revisit.

Looking over her letter again, Harry shook his head for the second time. He was amazed that she felt the same way for him that he did for her – that realization always sent a thrill down his spine. Their feelings, their very relationship had been shaken to the core this year, but thankfully they were right where they were supposed to be – together.

Ginny flooed in at noon that day, and Harry was right there waiting for her. He scooped her into his arms as soon as she cleared the fireplace, and she went into his arms willingly. They stood embracing and swaying gently for some time. They didn't speak, they didn't even kiss. They just stood with their arms around each other, their eyes closed, enjoying the closeness of the embrace.

Finally, Harry said softly, "Thank you for your letter."

Ginny looked into his eyes, "I meant it. I don't know what I'd do without you, and I have no idea what I did to deserve you, but I am so grateful."

Harry laughed and shook his head "I think you have that a little backwards – I'm the lucky one. Hey, do you realize two months from today, we'll be married?" Harry asked.

"Sixty-one days and two hours to be exact," Ginny replied and smiled, making Harry laugh out loud.

"What do you want to do today?" Harry asked bringing her with him to the couch and sitting down. She crawled onto his lap and whispered in his ear…

"Hmm…I feel like…spending all day…upstairs…" she said softly, kissing the soft spot behind Harry's right ear as she spoke. He chuckled and closed his eyes, wrapping his hands around her ass.

"You do, huh?" he replied. "Well, who am I to deny you what you want?"

Harry rose from the couch, wrapping Ginny's legs around his waist and climbed the stairs to his bedroom where they remained for the rest of the day.

As she stood at the fireplace eleven hours later ready to floo home, Ginny said, "Good luck with your meeting with Kingsley tomorrow."

"Thanks, I'll owl you when I get home and you can come for dinner if you'd like."

"Of course – see you tomorrow, love," and with a last smile and wink, she was gone.

"Harry, wonderful to see you, how has your time off been so far?" Kingsley asked the next day as Harry entered his office.

"Great, Minister. I've been enjoying the rest," Harry replied and smiled, shaking Kingsley's hand.

"Excellent. Please sit Harry," Kingsley gestured to a chair opposite his own. Harry sat and waited for the Minister to continue.

"Harry, I can't tell you how pleased I was when I found out that you were first in your class of trainees. I was so proud, as I'm sure your parents would have been."

Harry smiled, surprised that references to his parents didn't hurt as much as they used to. "Thank you, Sir. It came as quite a surprise to me as well, but I would guess it was only because Hermione wasn't a trainee as well or I doubt that the outcome would have been the same."

Kingsley laughed heartily. "I suppose you're right. Miss Granger does seem to excel wherever she goes."

"Yes, thank God!" Harry said, and both men laughed. Harry's thoughts immediately going to the horcrux hunt.

Kingsley paused briefly and said, "Harry, I'm going to get right to it, if you don't mind. I see you going very far here at the Ministry, especially in the Auror Department. I don't think that we could do any better then you and your friend, Mr. Weasley. He has really matured this past year, and we've all been quite impressed by his spell and charm work. I think that the two of you make a most formidable team.

"As you well know, the department's personnel has been seriously diminished this past year, now consisting only of six remaining Aurors, the majority of which will be leaving within the next four years. That being said, the Head Auror and I have been conversing quite frequently during the past month and we both agree. I want you to start being groomed to take over the Auror Department, Harry."

Harry stared at Kingsley, open-mouthed, unable to form any coherent words.

"Not immediately, mind you," Kingsley continued, noting the look on Harry's face, "but eventually. Ron would become the second in command. The present Head will begin taking the two of you on assignments with him and showing you how things are done here. He is hoping to retire in two years time, at which point I am hoping that you will accept the position as Head Auror. What are your thoughts?"

Harry blinked a few times and shook his head. "I really don't know what to say, Sir, I'm overwhelmed."

"I know it's a lot to take in right now, but I have every confidence in your abilities, Harry, and you paired with Ron, I feel like the Ministry would be in excellent hands. You don't have to give me an answer today. Go home and talk it over with Miss Weasley, she may have some say in your decision," Kingsley paused and grinned at Harry. "Anyway, how do you feel about starting here two weeks from Monday? That will give you some more time to spend with your fiancé before reporting."

"That sounds perfect, Sir, and thank you for the offer," Harry said, still dazed.

"Of course, Harry. Come and see me around 8:30AM on Monday the 20th and we can talk more about it before you start for the day."

"Okay, thank you, Sir," Harry replied and stood. He shook hands with Kingsley and left the office a little befuddled.

Harry flooed home and flopped into his favorite chair in the library, still unable to comprehend what had just happened. He couldn't believe it – Head Auror? He smiled – he liked the sound of that. He especially liked the fact that he and Ron would be a team.

He reached for parchment and a quill and wrote,

_**Gin:**_

_**Are you busy? Can you come over now? I need to tell you something – good news, I think – don't worry, just come as soon as you can.**_

_**I'll be waiting – I love you.**_

_**Harry**_

Twenty minutes later, Ginny appeared in the fireplace and Harry was still sitting in his chair. She approached him, "Harry, what is it? What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, I think. Let's sit," Harry said, getting up from his chair and joining her on the couch. "I just got back from my meeting with Kingsley," he began.

"Okay…" she said. "And…?"

Harry took a deep breath. "Well, he said that I start two weeks from Monday, so I still have lots of time to spend with you…" he began.

"Come on, Harry, you're killing me!" Ginny said. "I know that's not the big news."

"No, that's not it." Harry paused. "Okay, he said that he wants me, well me and Ron really, to take over the Auror Department in two years when the current Head retires." He looked at Ginny, a small smile playing across his lips and he waited.

It finally sunk in with her what he was saying. "What?!" she asked, amazed. "Oh, my God, Harry, that's huge!"

"I know," he replied, chuckling a little.

"Wait, what do you mean you and Ron?"

"Well, I would be Head Auror and Ron would be second in command."

Ginny smiled and shook her head in disbelief. "Wow, I just can't believe it, Harry. That's so amazing. Tell me exactly what Kingsley said!"

He told her as much as he could remember, especially the part about them being impressed by Ron's spell work, and how they were to pair up with the Head Auror on assignments.

She was grinning from ear to ear when Harry finished, and she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. "I can't believe it. I'm so proud of you – of both of you, really. Does Ron know yet?" she asked.

"No, he doesn't see Kingsley until tomorrow, so you can't say anything to him."

"Okay," she said, "but we need to plan an outing tomorrow night to celebrate."

"Definitely! So, you're okay with this, then?" Harry asked.

"Yes, of course. My husband, Head Auror - I like how that sounds," she teased.

"Me, too, actually," Harry agreed. "How about the two of us celebrate right now, alone?"

"I like how that sounds, too," she said. She led him from the couch to the stairs, running and laughing the whole way to his bedroom.

The next day after Ron had returned from the Ministry and his meeting with Kingsley, chaos reigned at the Burrow for the rest of the afternoon. Ron couldn't control his excitement when he returned, and immediately grabbed Hermione's hand and shouted the news to her. She could barely understand what he was saying he was so excited, and Harry and Ginny sat on the couch watching it unfold, laughing quietly at Ron's exuberance.

Mrs. Weasley came running into the living room, hearing the commotion. "What's going on?" she asked.

"The best news, Mum," Ron began, calming down and looking over at Harry for the first time. "We're gonna be a team, mate, can you believe it?" Ron said, still awed.

"Of course, they know a good thing when they have it," Harry answered smiling and rising from the couch. He gave Ron a brief hug and slapped him on the back. "Congratulations, mate."

"What are you talking about? What did Kingsley say?" Mrs. Weasley asked again.

"Harry and I are to be groomed by the Head Auror over the next two years, and once he retires, Harry will become the Head Auror, and I will be his second in command," Ron answered her, slightly awed.

Mrs. Weasley exploded. She grabbed Ron and Harry in a crushing hug and screamed in their ears. She ran around the house yelling and screaming with joy, tears running down her face. She immediately began sending owls to all of her children letting them know the good news and summoning them to the house that night for a celebration dinner.

"Dinner sounds good Mum, then tomorrow night the four of us go out and celebrate," Ron said looking at his friends. Harry, Ginny and Hermione nodded, and spent the rest of the day talking about their plans for the future.

After dinner, Harry took Ginny out the back and stood just outside the door. He said, "Gin, are you busy next Friday?"

"Not that I know of, why?" she asked.

"I need to go to Diagon Alley, and I really want you to come with me," Harry replied.

"Of course - is everything alright?"

"Yeah, just some stuff to take care of," he said putting his arm around her shoulders and leading her back into the house.

The next week, Harry and Ginny flooed directly into Gringott's Bank and were met by Ginny's brother, Bill.

"Harry, Ginny, good to see you both," Bill said as he brought his sister in for a hug.

"Hey, Bill," Ginny said, "How's Fleur?"

"Good, good, she's doing well, thanks. So, Harry, are we ready to get started?" Bill asked.

"Yeah, I think so," was Harry's reply. Ginny looked at Harry with questions in her eyes, but he just lead her into the back room where the meeting was to take place. One of the head goblins from the bank was already in the room when Bill, Harry and Ginny entered and they all took their seats.

Bill began, "Okay, so we're all here, let's start." Bill began pulling out papers from his portfolio and the goblin was looking at him closely. "Everything has been arranged as we discussed last week, Harry, all we really need is your signature along with Ginny's."

"What's going on?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, sorry, I thought that Harry would have discussed this with you," Bill said looking at Harry, unsure as to whether he should continue.

Harry turned to Ginny and said, "Well, I just thought that since we're going to be married, and in my mind we already are anyway, that it should be official. What's mine is now yours, too."

She knit her brows together. "What do you mean? Your money?"

"Yeah, and everything that comes with it," Harry replied.

"It's all here," Bill said. "Harry asked for a new listing of his holdings and assets, and they're all here," Bill handed Harry the two dozen sheets of paper that had every property, painting, jewelry item, etc., as well as the cash available in his Gringott's vault listed in date of acquisition order. It was a formidable listing since it included not only his parent's things, but also the Black's which Harry inherited when Sirius died. Bill had consolidated everything into one vault for Harry so that he could keep track of everything much more easily.

Also included was the listing of transactions that passed through his account since it was opened by his parents. Harry handed the papers to Ginny. "You can look through it all later and we'll decide together what to keep and if we should sell off anything. But, for now, all we need to do is sign these papers."

The goblin slid four separate pieces of parchment across the desk towards Harry and Ginny. Harry looked to Bill for confirmation.

Bill nodded. "Everything is in order, Harry," Bill said. "You and Ginny just need to sign each sheet on the bottom where indicated, and then send in a copy of your signed marriage certificate in August."

"Are you okay with this?" Harry asked Ginny, noticing that she hadn't said anything.

"I guess so, if this is what you want," Ginny replied softly. "It's a little overwhelming."

"I'm sorry, I should have told you my plans sooner, but I didn't think you'd mind," Harry said.

"I don't, it's just a little much to take in all at once."

Ginny took the quill that Bill handed to her and signed her name at the bottom of each sheet. Harry took the quill from her and did the same.

"It's official, we share everything now," Harry said to Ginny and smiled. She nodded and leaned in for a kiss.

"Thank you, Harry, for trusting me with all of this."

"I trust you with my life," he replied and she smiled.

The next morning as soon as Ginny went down to breakfast she noticed an envelope sitting on her plate with the Hogwarts crest on it. Immediately, her stomach was in her throat – her NEWT grades were in. Thankfully, she was alone in the kitchen while she opened the letter. She slowly turned the envelope over and slid her nail under the flap. She took out the sheet of parchment, her hand trembling as she did. She took a deep breath and opened it, her eyes immediately seeking her grades:

PotionsEExceeds Expectations

TransfigurationOOutstanding

Defense Against the Dark ArtsOOutstanding

CharmsOOutstanding

Magical Maladies and Cures94A NEWT exam was not administered for this elective

She sat there for some time just staring at the piece of parchment with her eyes wide and her mouth agape. Ginny's Mum found her that way some time later when she came in to get a cup of tea.

"Ginny, what happened? Is something wrong?"

Ginny could only shake her head, and hand her mother the paper. Mrs. Weasley took it and a grin spread across her face as she read. "Oh!" she said. "Oh, Ginny, I'm so proud of you! This is just wonderful."

"I know…I can't really believe it myself," Ginny replied.

"Oh, and after all you went through this year, and you still…oh, Ginny, it's just wonderful," Mrs. Weasley brought her daughter into a hug. "I'm so proud of you…"

"Thanks, Mum." Ginny wiped the tears from her eyes and grinned. "I can't wait to tell Harry."

That afternoon, Ginny got an owl from Hermione, six Outstanding NEWTs. Ginny could only grin and shake her head. All of that worrying for nothing – Hermione would never change.

_**18 June**_

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**It's nearly midnight and I'm lying here unable to sleep once again - because I can't get thoughts of you out of my head. You fill my every thought all day long.**_

_**Incredible is the only way that I can describe how I feel right now. It's a little scary, like I shouldn't feel too happy because something might be waiting around the corner to take it all away.**_

_**How am I so blessed? What did I ever do to deserve any of this? If I have to spend the rest of my life worshipping God or the fates or whatever it is that reigns over us, I'll do it, because you're undeniably worth it.**_

_**I love the fact that you're the first thing I think of when I wake up and I see your face in my mind as I fall asleep at night. I can't wait until we're married and you will be able to stay with me forever. No more flooing home at midnight. You will be home, right by my side, with me by yours, just as it should be. **_

_**Did I ever properly thank you for being the inspiration for pulling me through the horcrux hunt? I promise that it was only the thought of you, of holding you, of kissing you, that sustained me many times during that year. The images of you that flashed through my mind reminded me of what we were fighting for, why we had to win. **_

_**We could never let Voldemort triumph because that would mean that I would never be with you again, and that was not an option. Even if you turned me away when I returned to you, it would have been justified. I would never stand in your way if you had decided that I wasn't the one that you wanted, or you couldn't forgive me for leaving without you. Just knowing that you would have the chance, the opportunity to be happy and live in safety would have been enough for me, and what I deserved.**_

_**But, thankfully, by some miracle you waited for me, and forgave me. The relief that rushes through my body just remembering the feel of your lips on mine, that first kiss you gave to me after the battle was over is nearly overwhelming, even now. You threw yourself into my arms and at that moment I never wanted to be apart from you again, and thank God you felt the same way. **_

_**I can't wait to see the first glimpse of you in your wedding gown, coming down the aisle to me. Gin, I don't know how I am going to get through that moment without crying. I know that I am going to be a complete mess, so you will have to forgive me. **_

_**I love you, now and always.**_

_**Harry**_

Ginny was laying in bed early the next morning thinking about Harry when a familiar tapping on her window stirred her from her reverie. She let Hiro in and left the window open, letting the fresh air in. She stroked the owl's feathers lightly and gave him a few treats to nibble as she read her letter from Harry.

She took the letter from Hiro and sat back on her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. The emotions coursing through her as she read were nearly too much. By the time she was finished, tears were streaked down her face but she was smiling.

Ginny threw on the first pair of shorts and T-shirt that she found, slid her feet into flip flops and grabbed her hairbrush as she sped down the stairs.

"I'm going to Harry's!" she yelled as she tossed the hairbrush into the nearest chair and grabbed a handful of floo powder at the same time. Her mother was just coming into the living room as Ginny disappeared in the fireplace.

At Grimmauld Place, all was quiet when Ginny arrived. She was making her way to the kitchen when Kreacher appeared around the corner.

"Oh, Kreacher, good morning," Ginny said. "Is Harry awake yet?"

"Good morning, Mistress Ginny. No, he is still asleep," the elf replied.

"I'm going up to wake him, but will you give us a few minutes before you bring him breakfast, please?"

"Of course - Master Harry will let me know when he would like to eat."

"Thank you," Ginny replied, and she dashed up the stairs to Harry's bedroom.

She opened the door as quietly as she could and peeked inside. Harry was indeed still asleep, his back turned towards her. He must have gotten hot during the night because the covers had been kicked to the foot of the bed, and he lay, beautiful, wearing only a pair of black boxers.

Ginny smiled as she looked upon this man that was going to be her husband. She shook her head, unable to believe that he was truly hers.

She slipped into his bathroom and used his toothbrush to brush her teeth, then she returned to his bedroom. She approached the bed slowly, savoring the moment, and slipped in behind him, careful not to disturb him yet.

She snaked closer to him, and inhaled. She loved the way he smelled usually, but his scent was somehow intensified as he slept. She loved cuddling with him as he slept, she never tired of having his arms around her.

She inched closer to Harry, close enough that she was sure he could now feel the heat from her body. She leaned forward and kissed him gently on his bare shoulder. She brushed her cheek against his skin, reveling in the feel of him. He murmured but didn't wake, and Ginny smiled. She kissed him again, and then tasted his skin with her tongue. She grazed her fingers over his back and down to his hip. Harry smiled and reached out for her hand, pulling it around his body.

She snuggled closer to his back, running her fingers through the soft, dark hair on his chest and she groaned. She kissed the back of Harry's neck, and traced her tongue down his spine. He shivered, and she smiled against his skin. "Love you," she whispered.

She continued to rub her cheeks against his warm skin, back and forth, inhaling his intoxicating smell. She flattened her hand against his chest and felt every muscle. She circled his nipple with her fingers and felt it pucker from her touch, then stroked her hand down his stomach and felt his sharp intake of breath.

Harry lifted his hips as she pulled his boxers down to his ankles and he tossed them off the bed. Ginny ran her hands everywhere over his body, down his stomach, over his hips and over his ass. Harry tried to turn over once but Ginny stopped him.

"Stay there, baby, I want you just like this," she whispered into Harry's back, and he stayed, closing his eyes.

Her hands continued to stroke his soft skin while her tongue darted in and out, licking him gently. Her hand slid down his smooth hips, then reached around him, gently taking his erection into her hand.

She lowered her forehead onto his back and exhaled, her nipples puckering just from the feel of his hard cock in her hands. "God, Harry…" she whispered. She began stroking him gently, tightening her grasp as his breathing became heavier and he groaned.

He bent his head so that he could watch her. Her small hand wrapped around his dick was the most amazing sight, and when she rubbed her thumb across the head and spread his slick droplets everywhere he nearly came right there.

"Ginny…" he breathed. "Yeah…"

She started moving faster, unable to control herself, wanting to feel him. She pumped up and down, moving by feel alone, unable to see what she was doing. She glided her hand faster and tighter, squeezing gently and twisting a little when she came to his head. She smiled when she felt him grow even harder under her hand.

"Ginny… yeah!" Harry said, bucking his hips a little. "God, yeah, Gin! I'm so close…close…" he panted, his chest rising and falling heavily.

Ginny pulled him onto his back and took his dick deep into her mouth and Harry exploded. He wasn't able to hold off any longer, and as soon as he felt Ginny's warm mouth surround him, it was over. He pulsed long thin strands of cum into her mouth and she never pulled away. He ran his hands through her long hair that was splayed across his stomach and he groaned over and over.

She let go of him, and laid her head on his chest, Harry's arm circling her back. Ginny laughed and traced circles around his stomach as Harry grinned, his eyes still closed. She followed the trail of her fingers with her lips, and Harry smiled before slowly opening his eyes.

"Good morning," Ginny whispered, kissing his lips.

"Yes, it is," he replied smiling and pulling her closer. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me, too." She smiled and ran her hands along his chest, still inhaling his scent. "I loved your letter, Harry, thank you."

"Thank _you_, Gin," he said, "I love you." He slid his hand through her hair and caressed her cheek with his fingers. They lie there holding each other and talking for a few minutes before harry whispered,

"Come on," Harry whispered, pulling Ginny out of bed and into the bathroom as she looked at him in confusion. He turned the dial of the shower and felt the hot water pulse through the showerhead. He took Ginny's hand and stepped into the soothing spray.

"It's been way too long since we've done this together," he said softly and turned Ginny around so that she was nearest the tap. She leaned her head back and drenched her hair while Harry watched her, transfixed.

"Please…" he said and she opened her eyes. "Let me?" and he reached for the bottle of shampoo. She smiled and turned around. Harry poured a small amount into his hand and began washing Ginny's hair, massaging her scalp at the same time.

"Mmm…now I smell like you, I like it," Ginny said. Harry grinned – he liked it, too. He ran his fingers through the strands of her hair again and again, gently working out the tangles. He watched the bubbles and rivulets of water flow from her hair, down her back, the curve of her ass, the back of her legs. He leaned down and kissed her shoulder and Ginny shuddered. She turned and drew him into her arms.

"Harry…" she breathed and kissed his chest. They were lost in each other for the next forty minutes, until the water began to run cold. They emerged from the water, wrinkly but very happy.

"That was a great way to wake up," Harry said, grinning wickedly, as they tossed themselves back onto his bed. Ginny laughed and snuggled into his side. They lay in bed, their arms wrapped around each other talking into the early afternoon.

"Good luck tomorrow, love," Ginny said to Harry as they made their way to his fireplace later that night.

"Thanks," he replied. "I'm meeting Kingsley at 8:30, then Ron and I begin our careers!"

Ginny smiled up at him. "And I will be home missing you. I'm glad we had today together, though."

"Me, too, it was amazing," Harry said and he bent down and kissed her. "I'm exhausted, but I love you."

"I love you, too. Will you come to dinner tomorrow?" Ginny asked.

"Sure, that sounds good. See you then."

Harry entered Kingsley's office the next morning promptly at 8:30 AM. They shook hands and were seated.

"Glad to see you, Harry," Kingsley began.

"Thank you, Sir, good to see you as well." He smiled crookedly at Kingsley and continued, "I just wanted to let you know that I've made the decision to accept your very kind offer."

"Excellent!" Kingsley stood and came around the desk. Harry stood, too, as the Minister approached him, took his hand and slapped him on the back, smiling widely. "Harry, that's wonderful news. I know that you're going to do great things here."

"Thank you, Sir, and thanks for the opportunity."

"How does Miss Weasley feel about it?"

"She was excited, too," Harry replied. "She thinks it's great that Ron and I will be working so closely together."

"You're a great team, we wouldn't have it any other way," Kingsley said. "Come with me, Harry. Let's go meet with your new boss."

Later in the day, Harry and Ron were in their new office that they were sharing, looking over the paperwork that they needed to complete before they left for the day.

"Amazing, isn't it, Harry?" Ron asked.

"What's that?" Harry responded, looking up at his friend.

"Us – being here – working together."

"Yeah," Harry smiled. "I'm glad, though. At least we aren't in a job we hate, and we get to go through together."

"Right," Ron responded. "We're lucky blokes, you know."

"Yeah, I do," Harry said. "Finished?" Ron nodded. "Then let's get out of here, I'm starving and your Mum's cooking." Ron didn't need any encouragement to eat, so they dropped their completed papers to Kingsley's secretary on their way to the atrium and flooed directly to the Burrow.

Hermione was waiting as they exited the fireplace and Ron took her in his arms.

"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked.

"Up in her room. Can you go and tell her that dinner is in ten minutes?" Hermione asked.

"Sure, see you guys in a bit," Harry said and he sprinted up the stairs two at a time to Ginny's room.

He knocked gently and entered. Ginny was asleep on her bed, her hair fanned out against the pillow. Harry smiled and sat down. He bent down and kissed her, smoothing her hair away from her face. Without opening her eyes, Ginny smiled and brought his face down to hers for a kiss.

"Mmm...I missed you today," she said, opening her eyes and looking at Harry.

"Me, too," he said, kissing her again.

"How was your first day?"

"Pretty quiet, mostly just meeting people and filling out paperwork. Nothing exciting."

"I'll take that! It's much better then you risking your life day after day, Harry," she said and he quite agreed.

"What did you do today?" he asked.

She smiled. "Nothing, I was very lazy. I'm enjoying sleeping in and helping Mum around the house. There's always something to do for the wedding. Is there anything that you need me to do at your place for you?"

"You mean OUR place?" he asked, smirking. "No, thanks, love. Kreacher is doing a great job around there. Are you ready to go down to dinner?"

"Yeah," Ginny said getting up from her bed, "I'm starving!"

"You sound like Ron! Let's go."

After Harry flooed home that night after dinner, Ginny pulled Hermione into her room and closed the door. "Hermione, I need your help!"

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"Well, a couple of things actually. First, I was going to throw Harry a birthday party, but I think with the wedding so close to his birthday that it won't work too well. So, I was thinking about doing dinner, just the four of us, somewhere really nice in London, and maybe staying overnight there, taking in a play…what do you think?"

"I think that sounds wonderful. I think that Ron's planning his bachelor party for Saturday the 25th, so maybe we can do the London weekend on the 18th?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, perfect, that will give me enough time to research theater tickets and restaurants, hotels, yeah, good," Ginny thought aloud, nodding her head.

"Okay, what's the second thing?" Hermione asked.

"Well, this is a little more complicated…it's Harry's wedding present. You don't really have to do anything, I just need moral support," Ginny said.

"This sounds interesting…" Hermione said, smiling.

"Oh, it will be, I just hope he likes it," Ginny said, a devious gleam in her eye. "We'll see when he unwraps it!"


	11. July

**JULY**

"Ginny, please!" Mrs. Weasley yelled at her daughter. "I need you here to sit with me for a while so that we can make some decisions!"

"Alright, Mum, can you please give me a minute to say goodbye to Harry?!" Ginny yelled back and rolled her eyes. She turned to Harry who was standing at the fireplace smirking at her. "I swear, I'm glad that we only have a month to go before this wedding. I don't know how much more I can take."

"I'm sorry, love, but it'll be over soon and then it'll just be you and me," Harry said taking Ginny in his arms.

"I can't wait," she replied smiling at Harry. "Go home, love. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Are you sure? I could stay and help…" he said.

"Thanks, but no. I won't subject you to this again," she replied and laughed, pushing Harry towards the fireplace. "You already helped with the invitations and the favors, your job is done. I love you."

"I love you, too. See you tomorrow," Harry said and was gone.

Ginny ambled back into the kitchen where her Mum was waiting for her, swatches and lists spread out over the entire table. "Okay, I'm here."

"Good, now sit down. First thing, we have to decide on the menu," Mrs. Weasley started.

"Okay, give me the options, and I'll decide," Ginny said. Mrs. Weasley handed over the possibilities and Ginny looked through everything carefully, her eyebrows creasing as she concentrated. She grabbed a quill from the table and began checking off the appetizers, entrees, sides, beverages and wedding cake that she wanted. Within fifteen minutes, she had everything done and handed it back to her mother.

Mrs. Weasley looked at Ginny's choices and nodded, then frowned. "Are you sure that you want a chocolate wedding cake?"

"Yeah, it's Harry's favorite flavor. It'll be chocolate with white icing, and bronze ribbons running along the base of each layer - simple and elegant. We're going to use the cake topper from your wedding, so that's already done," Ginny said.

"Okay," Mrs. Weasley said, making notes. "Music?"

Ginny nodded. "We already have Angelina coming to DJ, we don't want a band. I'll get in touch with her next week to finalize everything."

Mrs. Weasley raised her eyebrows but didn't comment. "Alright. The tablecloths and napkins are all ordered and will be here on July 30th. We picked the ecru lace and the bronze underlay, right?" Mrs. Weasley pointed to the swatches on the table.

Ginny nodded her head, looking at the colors.

"Okay, final fitting for our dresses are on Friday, the 10th, with Hermione. Now, flowers…" Mrs. Weasley said as she handed Ginny an assortment of pictures to choose from.

"Okay," Ginny said as she looked through the photos, picking out one immediately and placing it on the table between them. "These…my bouquet is going to be a dozen cream colored calla lilies tied with a thick bronze ribbon, and I want it arranged so that it lies across my arm, not in a formal bouquet." Mrs. Weasley scribbled on her notepad furiously as Ginny went on.

"We should have lots of lilies and calla lilies in the decorations, too. Harry thought it would be nice to have them in memory of his Mum," Ginny said and Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Hermione's will be six bronze calla lilies tied with a long, thick cream ribbon. Harry, Ron and Dad will have one cream calla lily each in their lapels. And for you, I was thinking two cream calla lilies with thin cream and bronze ribbons. What do you think?"

"Yes, that sounds nice," Mrs. Weasley said, writing notes again. "We'll all be similar, very nice." Ginny nodded.

"Then, for the rest…the centerpieces and decorations…" Ginny paused as she looked through the rest of the photos, "Maybe these…" she placed four pictures on the table and Mrs. Weasley scrutinized them.

"No roses?" she asked.

"No, I don't think so," Ginny said.

"Okay," Mrs. Weasley said again. "So, these varieties all in cream and bronze, then?"

"Yes, perfect," Ginny replied nodding her head.

"Okay, now you and Harry need to pick out your rings…" Mrs. Weasley started.

"We already have them. We're going to wear Harry's parent's rings," Ginny said. "Harry found them when he went through their vault at Gringott's last summer. They're really beautiful, Mum."

"Really? How wonderful!" Mrs. Weasley replied, her eyes dancing as she clapped her hands. "I love that idea."

"I know, me, too," Ginny said, smiling. "So, what else do you need from me?"

"Umm…I think that's it for now," Mrs. Weasley replied looking up at her daughter. "Kingsley is going to perform your ceremony himself, so that'll be very nice, and we've gotten most of the responses back already. We're looking at around eighty people."

"Perfect. Mum, thanks so much for doing all of the arrangements for the wedding. I really appreciate all of the effort that you're putting into it, honestly, and I know that Harry appreciates it, too."

"You're welcome, honey, I love doing it," Mrs. Weasley replied.

Ginny walked to her Mum and gave her a huge hug and kiss. "I love you, Mum."

"I love you, too, now go get some sleep."

"You, too, we can do this stuff tomorrow," Ginny replied. Mrs. Weasley nodded to her absentmindedly, as she scratched more notes down.

The next day after work, Harry found Ginny in her bedroom with her arms tucked around her pillow, her fingers caressing the tiny silver rattle and a single tear rolling down her cheek. She looked up at him as he entered and her face reflected the pain she was feeling. His stomach clutched as he looked at her, and he was kneeling by her bed in an instant, tossing the pillow to the side and taking Ginny into his arms.

"What is it, love? Are you hurt?" he asked.

Ginny dried her eyes with her hands and breathed in deeply. "No," she said, "I'm not hurt – not in the way you mean, anyway."

"What is it?" Harry asked again gently, pulling her away from him so that he could look at her eyes.

She put her head down on his chest and said softly, "Today is my due date, Harry. We were supposed to have pea today." Harry stiffened in her arms.

"Oh, Gin," Harry said, pulling her back to his chest. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" She nodded. He closed his eyes, too, and thought about their baby. How different their lives would be today if pea was still here. He and Ginny would have been married in early June like they talked about, and they would be a family.

Ginny stroked Harry's back when she felt him shudder as he remembered pea. She knew he understood her mood instantly and she was grateful that he was here sharing her pain. She had spent most of the day here in her room, wanting to remember her baby and all that he had meant to her. And now, having Harry here as well, she felt better. She was sharing pea's memories with him and he understood.

Ginny tried to shake her solemn mood during the next week and spent the majority of it making the arrangements for Harry's birthday weekend. She and Hermione apparated to London several times looking at hotels and restaurants, close to the things they wanted to do. Ginny decided on staying at the Intercontinental Hotel, in a two bedroom suite so that the four of them could stay together, and there was a great restaurant right in the hotel. Also, instead of seeing a play which Ron would have hated, she decided that they would go to a comedy club on Saturday night, something that they would all love to do. They would have brunch the next morning before apparating back home. Harry would love it.

"So, you never told me about Harry's present that you need my help with. What is it?" Hermione asked.

"Umm…all I can tell you at this point is that I'm picking it up on the 25th, the night he goes out with Ron for the bachelor party."

"Okay, but you're being very mysterious about it, Gin."

"I know, but I want to keep it to myself for a while yet," she replied, smiling.

"Well, he's going to love the weekend away. Is it going to be a surprise?" Hermione asked.

"As much as possible - tell Ron to try and keep it quiet."

Hermione smirked at her. "We both know how well that'll go, but I'll remind him."

The final fitting for the dresses went really well that Friday. A minor adjustment needed to be made on the hem of Ginny's dress, but the three of them were in and out of the shop within an hour, their dresses in hand. Hermione helped Ginny up the stairs to her bedroom with her dress – the lace made it quite heavy. The made a second trip for Hermione's dress, the veil and their shoes.

"Oh, I'm so excited to finally have this home," Ginny squealed. "The wedding feels so real now, and so soon!"

"It's coming up fast. The dress is so beautiful, Gin. I can't wait to see Harry's face when he looks at you in this," Hermione said.

"Me, too." Ginny smiled at her best friend. "So, do you think I can trust the boys to go and get their dress robes on their own tomorrow?"

"Your Dad will be with them, so they can't go too wrong," Hermione said, laughing. Ginny looked unconvinced.

Ron and Mr. Weasley flooed to Grimmauld Place at noon the next day to meet Harry. Kreacher made them a quick, but substantial lunch, and then they were off.

"Ginny left me specific instructions," Mr. Weasley said as they exited the kitchen. "Black robes, white shirts, black ties. Simple."

"That works for me, I look good in black," Harry said jokingly, and the men erupted in laughter. The trio apparated to Madame Malkin's and were finished ordering their robes in fifteen minutes.

"Brilliant! Our part is done!" Harry said triumphantly, smiling at the other two. "What do you say to a quick pint at the Hog's Head?"

"Great idea, great idea," Mr. Weasley said as they headed down the lane together.

On Saturday morning, the 18th, Ginny flooed to Grimmauld Place bright and early. She brought her overnight bag with her and left it at the bottom of the stairs.

She snuck up to Harry's room and jumped on his bed laughing, startling Harry out of his sound sleep.

"Ginny? What are you doing?!" he yelled, then starting laughing, too. "You scared the shit out of me."

She smiled again. "Sorry! I was just so excited to see you!"

"Well, come here already then!" He said, pulling on her leg so that she tumbled to the bed.

She stopped laughing enough to kiss Harry soundly. "Good morning…"

"What has you so happy today?" Harry asked.

"You…it's always you," she replied.

He smiled and kissed her again, shaking his head.

"I have a surprise for you, love."

"What is it?" Harry asked and looked at her through squinted eyes – still trying to adjust to the morning light.

Ginny got up from the bed and brought down Harry's travel bag from his closet. She opened the drawers and began pulling out clothes to pack.

"What are you doing? What's going on?" Harry asked, confused.

Ginny smiled and crawled back into bed. "It's your birthday present," she whispered and leaned in to kiss him.

"Umm…what is?" he asked, rubbing her breast through her shirt and she shivered.

"I'm kidnapping you…you…me…Ron…Hermione…London…overnight…" she replied, letting out a low moan. "Stop, or we'll never get out of here."

"Mmm…how about just you and me?" he asked and kissed her. She laughed as he tried to kiss her again.

"Soon, baby," she replied and kissed him and got up. "I'm going to finish packing for you, you just relax right here where I can look at you."

Harry smiled and watched her, too, as she flitted around the room, grabbing shirts and shoes, his toothbrush and socks, jeans and button-downs. He smiled at her, and she grinned back.

"Stop it, Harry, I know you're doing that on purpose!" Ginny said, glaring at him now.

"Doing what?" he asked feigning innocence, grinning. He had just hoisted himself up so he sat against the headboard and crossed his arms behind his head. The blanket had slid down to his waist and his chest was bare, his muscles flexed.

"Jesus…" She gave him a look, dragged her eyes down his chest, then tore her eyes away to finish packing, mumbling "Fuck…focus…" under her breath the whole time, making Harry chuckle.

The foursome walked into the hotel suite and Ginny smiled wide – it was beautiful! Hermione laughed and Harry was amazed as he looked around.

Ron said, "Bloody hell, this place is huge!" They all laughed as they looked around. They were staying in the Cinema Suite – which meant that they had a huge flat screen television in the main room, along with about 300 DVD's to choose from. The room was wired for surround sound, and had a wet bar in the corner. Ron flipped on the TV at once, and planted himself in the deep, soft sofa, happily sipping a soda and eating pretzels.

Ginny and Hermione shook their heads as they went to explore the rest of the suite. It had two huge bedrooms on opposite sides of the central living room, with a large bathroom connected to each one, a kitchen area, an office with an immense desk and two separate seating areas. A balcony was located just off of the living room, and four comfortable chairs were out there with two tiny side tables between them. It was perfect.

"Too bad we're only here for one night – this is spectacular!" Hermione said as they stepped out into the warm air.

"It really is – I hate to leave to go out and walk around," Ginny said.

"Don't worry – it doesn't look like we're getting Ron away from that television anytime soon anyway," Harry said, making the girls laugh.

"It's such a beautiful day, though, I hate to waste the sunshine," Ginny said.

"You two go," Hermione said. "I'll stay here with Ron, and then we can all go out together tonight for dinner and the show."

Harry looked at Ginny and she nodded. "Okay, sounds good," Harry said, taking Ginny's hand and heading out the door.

Harry turned to Ginny as the exited the hotel's front doors and took her in his arms. "Thank you for this, it's a fantastic idea."

Ginny smiled, "I'm glad you like it, I had no idea what to do for you, but I wanted to make it special – besides you're paying for it!"

Harry laughed out loud. "Well, it's great to know that our money is going to good use! It's a great idea." He took her hand and they began wandering through the narrow streets of London. They came upon Speaker's Corner and stayed there for a half hour listening to all the people having their say.

They went into many of the small shops and bookstores and finally stopped at a cozy café for afternoon tea. They wandered back to the hotel around five that afternoon, tired from walking and loaded down with packages but very happy. They never stopped touching all afternoon – holding hands, kissing, arms pulling each other close. It was the most relaxing afternoon that they'd had in a long time.

They entered the suite and Ron and Hermione were curled up on the couch watching a movie. "Have fun?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded.

"We're going to take a nap, dinner's at eight," Ginny said moving towards their bedroom.

"Right," Hermione said, smiling.

They fell into bed and smiled at each other. "This is perfect," Ginny said, settling herself deep into the eight pillows that were on the enormous bed. "I don't ever want to leave."

Harry sighed, "What a great day."

"Yeah, and it's not over yet" Ginny agreed, closing her eyes as she snuggled against Harry and he took her in his arms. "Harry?" Ginny asked.

"Mmm?"

"I was talking to Angelina yesterday about the music for the reception and she asked about our first dance and which song we wanted to dance to. I realized that we don't have a song, Harry."

"Hmm…" Harry said, thinking. "How about this…you choose one for me and I'll choose one for you and we can dance to two songs?"

"That sounds nice," Ginny said and she kissed him.

"And, I get to hold you for two songs instead of one," he said, laughing and she smiled.

"You can hold me forever…" she said, laughing. " Oh! I just remembered. What about vows? Do you want to write our own vows?"

"Umm…that would be so nice, Gin, but honestly, I don't think that I'd be able to get through them."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

"Gin, to be honest," he took a deep breath, "I'm going to be a mess. I don't think I'd be able to get the words out," Harry finished.

Ginny's smile was broad. "I know what you mean, Harry. Okay, we'll go with the traditional, and just repeat after Kingsley."

Harry nodded, glad that she understood. He looked at her as her eyes closed and Harry let her sleep. He stared at her, thinking that in exactly two weeks, she would officially be his forever.

Harry gently nudged Ginny an hour later and they showered and dressed for dinner. Ginny stepped out of the bathroom wearing a black lace bra and matching panties, and moved towards the closet to get her dress when she noticed the expression on Harry's face.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now, Gin?" Harry said when he saw Ginny. She knit her eyebrows together looking down at herself.

"Why? What's wrong?" she asked.

"How the fuck am I supposed to get through tonight knowing that you're wearing _that_ and _those _under your dress?" He pointed to her bras and panties and Ginny started to giggle.

"You like these, huh? Well, maybe I'll let you take them off of me later, then," she said, giving Harry a little preview of what was to come later tonight and retrieved her dress from the closet. She emerged a minute later with a black halter dress that fell to her knees and high, strappy black sandals.

"Jesus, now who's not fighting fair?" Ginny said as she stared at Harry. He was wearing black pants with a lightweight black sweater, and with his pale skin and black hair, he looked incredible.

Harry chuckled and went to Ginny. "I think we both look great. I wish that we were staying right here, though."

"Me, too," she replied and kissed him, running her hands along his chest. "Fuck, you feel good."

Harry laughed and walked her out into the living room. Hermione and Ron were already there, dressed and ready to go. They ate downstairs in the hotel's restaurant and enjoyed a four course meal that was wonderful. They had just enough time to go back to their suite and change their clothes before heading to the comedy club. They all changed into jeans and sweaters, and Ginny left on her black underwear for Harry to find later.

The show was great and the four friends laughed loud and often during the three comedians that they saw. One in particular had a great time poking fun at Ron, much to the delight of Hermione, especially.

Harry laughed so hard at one point, that he choked on the drink he was sipping and the liquid flew out of his nose, which made Ginny's laughter uncontrollable. They had to leave shortly after that because Ginny couldn't stop herself, and was laughing nonstop. Harry was trying to stem the flow of liquid pouring through his nose and trying to stop coughing, but no luck. Once they got outside in the fresh air, the laughter continued. They laughed most of the way back to the hotel, and by the time they made it back to their suite, Ginny had a huge stitch in her side from laughing, and even Hermione had to find a tissue to dab her eyes as the tears coursed down her cheeks.

Ginny continued to smile as she said, "Goodnight Ron, Hermione, see you in the morning. We have reservations for brunch at noon."

"'Night," Ron sputtered as he and Hermione headed for their bedroom.

Harry closed and locked their door behind them and he took Ginny in his arms. "Thank God! Finally alone…Jesus the things that I was thinking about doing to you all through that damn show…"

"Well, feel free, Mr. Potter, I'm right here…" she replied. Without wasting a moment, Harry flung her sweater over her head and unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down her long, smooth legs. Ginny kicked them and her socks off and stood before Harry in her black underwear.

He cupped her breasts through the scratchy fabric and her nipples hardened under his touch. Unable to control himself any longer, Harry pushed the flimsy material of her panties aside and pushed two fingers deep into Ginny's core.

Ginny screamed and spread her legs for him, panting and gasping at the suddenness of his need. "Fuck, Harry, yes! Oh, God, please!"

Harry added a third fingers and kept up his assault, pushing into her deeper and faster as her breathing quickened and she grabbed onto his shoulders. Within seconds Ginny was on the brink.

She lowered her head and whispered into his ear, "Yes, Harry, yes! Your fingers feel so good, Harry. God, I love it when you get rough with me. When you fucking can't control yourself and you just have to have me. Fuck!" Harry groaned loudly and swirled his thumb around her clit as her pumped harder with his fingers.

"Aaah!!!" Ginny screamed as her walls contracted hard around his fingers. "Harry, yes!!" His fingers left her and she whimpered.

He picked her up and tossed her onto the bed, slowly unzipped his jeans and threw his sweater over his head as Ginny stared at him, her core still pulsing with the remnants of her orgasm.

He climbed on the bed naked, and immediately Ginny was upon him. She kept him on his knees and brought her mouth down on him and began licking his long, hard shaft. Harry threw his head back and groaned loudly.

He bucked his hips into her mouth, unable to stop himself. "Ginny…yeah. Oh, God!" he cried, looking down at her. She reached around him and grabbed his ass, pushing him deeper and he blew out a deep breath.

She moaned around his dick and the vibrations sent Harry over the edge. He shoved himself into Ginny's mouth and came hard. She nearly choked as he pushed himself deeper, but she managed to control her gag reflex and swallowed.

Harry collapsed onto the bed and brought Ginny into his arms. "Sorry, love, I couldn't help myself," he told her in between shallow pants.

"God, Harry, don't apologize – that was fucking amazing," she said and began to giggle. He joined in a moment later, and they were soon fast asleep in their enormous white bed.

The morning of Harry's bachelor party was a busy one. It also happened to be the Saturday before the wedding, so Ginny flooed over so that they could do some wedding errands. They polished their rings which Ginny was taking back to the Burrow to give to Ron, they went and picked up the three dress robes from Diagon Alley, then went to see Angelina regarding the music. They handed her their music choices for first dance and explained that there would be two dances instead of one. She loved the idea of them choosing songs for each other, and promised to keep the choices a secret until next Saturday.

They flooed to the caterer and finalized their choices, having the final tastings, including the wedding cake, which was delicious. The last stop for them was the florist – and Ginny was thrilled with the sample bouquet that they had made up, and gave her final go-ahead for the remaining flowers.

By the time they got back to Harry's it was nearly four, and they were exhausted, but it had been a very productive day. They ate a small meal and headed up to the bedroom to take a nap before they flooed to the Burrow, where Harry was meeting Ron for the bachelor party.

'I wish I didn't have to go tonight, I'd much rather stay here with you," Harry said kissing Ginny.

"You'll have a good time, I'm sure," Ginny said smiling. "Oh, and you know that this is the last day we're fooling around until the wedding night, right?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, incredulous.

Ginny laughed at him. "Harry! No more snogging - come on, it's only a week…"

He huffed. "Fine, I guess."

She smiled, but made their last time together well worth it. Harry rolled over, panting and smiling, as Ginny chuckled.

"So much for napping…will that sustain you for a week?" she asked.

"I don't think that I'm going to recover for a week, so…yeah," he finished.

"Good, because it's time for you to get up and get ready. We're out of here in thirty minutes."

Harry dragged Ginny to the shower with him, and then dressed in jeans and a blue shirt and was ready to go. They flooed to the Burrow, where not only Ron was waiting for him, but twenty of Harry's closest friends. He groaned, but smiled – it was going to be a long night.

"Have fun, but be careful!" Ginny warned. "I love you."

He kissed her hard, "I love you, too. I'll see you tomorrow."

She nodded and the group of them were gone – already laughing and having a grand time.

Ginny turned to Hermione. "Time for us to go, too," she said, winking.

Hermione nodded, and the pair took off.

They flooed to a small shop in Diagon Alley that was tucked away off the beaten track, which was perfect for Ginny. She didn't want an audience for this.

"What are we doing _here_?!" Hermione asked a little too loudly as they entered the shop. "Ginny are you serious?"

"Very, it's going to be great, Hermione, you'll see."

Ginny approached the counter and spoke with the clerk about what she wanted, handing him her drawing and within fifteen minutes, she was on the table, ready to get her tattoo.

"Gin, have you really thought about this? What if Harry doesn't like it?" Hermione asked.

"I think he'll love it, Hermione. It's going to be small and no one will be able to see it."

Ginny had designed a tattoo for Harry's wedding present. It was going to be a small, flowing free-form heart, shaded with red and a hint of black and white with "Harry" written in beautiful black script beneath it, placed low on the right side of her stomach, near her hip.

Hermione huffed, but held Ginny's hand as the artist began his work. Ginny held on hard, especially when the needles came close to her hipbone. The whole process took her less then forty minutes from start to finish and Ginny loved it.

She smiled at Hermione, "What do you think?" She was looking in a mirror on the shop's wall, and then smiled up at her friend.

Hermione smiled, too, "It's actually really beautiful," she said, surprising herself. "I think Harry will love it. But, how are you going to hide it from him until the wedding?"

"I already took care of that. No more fooling around until then – he wasn't happy!" Ginny said laughing.

"Good idea. Hopefully, it'll be healed by then."

"If not, I'm sure I can think of a charm that should take care of it – I am going to be a Healer after all, right?"

Hermione nodded, "Very true. Let's go." Hermione turned to Ginny as they walked out of the shop, "Your Mum is going to kill you, you know…"

"My Mum will never even know about it…" Ginny answered, grinning at her best friend. "Thanks for coming with me!"

"It was fun!" Hermione said. Ginny looked at her with a skeptical eye. "What? It was! I don't think I could ever do it, but it looks great on you."

Ginny smiled, "Thanks, but I think you would love it, too. I'm going to bring out the wild streak in you yet, Hermione."

Her friend just smiled and shook her head as they apparated home.

The next day Ginny flooed to Harry's to see how he was feeling after his party. She knew that Ron stumbled back to the Burrow about 5:00 this morning, unable to make it up the steps. He had collapsed on the sofa next to the fireplace and there he remained, still asleep.

Every time Hermione walked past him she shook her head in disgust, and once she even kicked the sofa where he slept. He reeked of alcohol and smoke. Ginny just chuckled, she hoped that Harry had fared better then Ron.

She entered Harry's bedroom and he was lying flat on his back, his arms thrown out to his sides, snoring lightly. She laughed quietly and climbed in next to him, not waking him, ready for a nap herself.

She woke an hour later, and Harry was still snoring lightly. She nudged him and he stirred, opening his eyes.

He groaned. "Oh, God Ginny, help me…" he said and she laughed out loud.

"That bad, huh?" she asked, grinning.

"Worse," he said softly, rolling over to his side. "Please close the curtains, Gin...oh, God, the sun."

She got out of bed and closed the curtains, darkening the room considerably, and he relaxed.

"Did you have a good night?" she asked and she crawled back in facing Harry.

"Umm…yeah, what I can remember…" he said and grinned a little.

"Well, at least you look better then Ron. He made it from the fireplace to the sofa and he hasn't moved since. And you smell better, too."

Harry grinned. "Yeah, he should smell worse, he spilled about four pints down his shirt by the end of the night."

Ginny laughed. "Any arrests? Broken bones? Strippers?"

"No, to all three - just good clean fun," he said and smirked at her. She smacked him lightly.

"Your stomach feel okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, so far. I need a shower and about five liters of water." He rolled out of bed slowly and headed to his bathroom, and Ginny went down to see Kreacher and bring Harry some breakfast.

They spent the morning and the beginning of the afternoon lying on Harry's couch watching TV, giving Harry a chance to recover as much as possible. At four, they flooed to the Burrow, Ginny's Mum making them promise to come for dinner.

"Surprise!" Everyone shouted as Ginny and Harry stepped from the fireplace. She gasped and her eyes went wide, looking around at all of the people that she loved.

"Oh, my God!" she said as her Mum came and hugged her.

"Happy shower, love," her Mum whispered.

Ginny was passed from one guest to another for the next ten minutes. She was excited to see a lot of men here as well, as it was to be a joint party for both her and Harry. She was happy that he would be able to stay with her.

"Did you know?" she asked Harry and he smiled and nodded.

They ate and opened presents for the next hour, laughing with their guests and having a great time. Ron, however, made numerous trips to the loo throughout the afternoon. The color hadn't returned to his face yet, and just the smell of his Mum's cooking was enough to make Ron's stomach heave. Both he and Ron, and most of the men for that matter – because most of them had attended the party last night - stayed very far away from any alcoholic beverages and stuck mostly with plain water throughout the day.

The guests departed around 8:00, and the Weasley's, Harry and Hermione were exhausted. Each of the eleven of them made three trips flooing back and forth to Grimmauld Place to bring all of their gifts to Harry's. They had gotten beautiful things from their very generous friends.

Whenever her Mum didn't need her for anything wedding-related the following week, Ginny was at Grimmauld Place. She alternated between writing thank you notes for her shower gifts, helping Kreacher find places for their new things, bringing her clothes and things from the Burrow, and planning Harry's birthday dinner.

Harry had bought her a dresser for her clothes, and cleared out half of the closet for her the week before. Ginny loved bringing her things from the Burrow and finding places where she would keep them – intermingling her things with Harry's. Harry, too, loved coming home each night and seeing what new things she had added to his bedroom during the day. He would look in the closet and drawers every night to find more and more of her clothing there, and he would walk in the closet and the scent of her would overwhelm him for a minute. He loved it.

She and Harry were going to have a quiet dinner together, just the two of them for his birthday Friday night. She wanted it to be special, especially since it was the night before their wedding. She moved the last of her things to Grimmauld Place during the day, keeping only what she would need to get ready on her wedding day. She had already packed for their honeymoon, and the bag was at Harry's, ready to go.

Harry flooed home from work that Friday night and was taken aback. Ginny had set a small table in the library for dinner, and it sparkled. There were candles glowing everywhere, and the table was set with the Black family china and crystal goblets, and a small gold-wrapped box sat at Harry's place. The table looked beautiful.

"Gin?" he called out and she came into the room and he was stunned once again. "Wow."

She was wearing a deep green dress that hugged her curves beautifully. "Thanks," she said, smiling. "Happy Birthday, my love," she said as she circled her arms around Harry's neck and kissed him deeply.

"Thank you," he replied. "It looks wonderful in here, and dinner smells great!" She smiled as he pulled away from her. "I'll be right back – I'm going to change," Harry said moving towards the stairs.

He reached his bedroom and looked around. It seemed that Ginny had finished moving her things to his room today. He walked over to her dresser and ran his fingers over her hairbrush and perfume bottles. He smiled. He glanced into his bathroom – their bathroom – and saw her shampoo on the shower's ledge and her toothbrush in the holder by the sink. A feeling of complete satisfaction enveloped Harry and he went back into his room to change for dinner.

They talked and laughed for the next hour as they ate Harry's birthday dinner. Harry held Ginny's hand whenever possible, never being close enough to her.

"Open your present," Ginny said. "I hope you like it, I wasn't sure."

Harry smiled at her and unwrapped the small box. Inside was the most beautiful watch that Harry had ever seen. It was perfect, and he fastened it on his wrist, it fit him well.

"Wow, thank you, I really love it," Harry said, looking at Ginny and smiling. "Thank you so much."

"I'm glad you like it – you're tough to buy for! But, just wait until you see what I got for you for a wedding present!" She gave Harry a wicked grin and he laughed.

"Anything that makes you get that gleam in your eye is going to be okay with me!" he said.

She laughed, "I hope that's true!"

They sat on the couch together after dessert, Ginny lying next to Harry, her back pressed up against his chest, and their hands laced together.

"I'm going to put a ring on this finger tomorrow," he said softly and she smiled.

"I know, and mine will go on yours right here," she said tracing the ring finger of his left hand.

"Incredible," he said.

"You're not nervous?" she asked.

"Nope, not at all," he replied. "Why, are you?"

"Nope," she said, mimicking him and laughed. "Harry?"

"Mmm…"

"Can you do me a favor?" she asked.

"Of course…"

"Can you get pea's ring for me? I want to wear it tomorrow."

Harry hugged her close and then sat her up so he could go to the safe. He dialed the knob and opened it, extracting the ring box that he kept inside. He opened it for a second, seeing the beautiful ruby and diamond ring and closed it again. He shut the safe, turned the knob locking it, and returned to the couch, handing Ginny the box.

"Thank you," she said not opening the box, but placing it on the table in front of them.

"It'll be nice to have that with us tomorrow," Harry said softly and she nodded. He brought her back into his arms, turning her around so that they were facing each other now. "I love you, Gin."

"I love you, too, Harry, more then you know." They kissed for a long time, finding comfort once again in each other's arms.

Their kisses turned deeper, and Harry reached for the zipper at Ginny's neck. She smiled but sat up.

"No way, Harry!" she said, laughing. "Tomorrow…"

He groaned and put his head back on the arm of the couch. "Torture…"

Ginny laughed again and got up from the couch.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Time for me to go, love. It's almost midnight and you know what they say about bad luck! Besides, I need my beauty sleep."

He grumbled, but got up from the couch as well. He led her to the fireplace and hugged her again. "I love you, and I will see you tomorrow."

She smiled. "I'm so excited – I can't believe it's really happening," Ginny whispered. Harry traced her face with his finger and she leaned into his hand.

"My wife," he whispered and kissed her.

"Mmm…that sounds so nice. Goodnight, Happy Birthday," she said smiling, and was gone.

Ginny went up to her room when she got home from Harry's determined to get some sleep so that she would look halfway decent tomorrow. She opened her door and flipped on the light, her eyes immediately going to an envelope and a small box stuck slightly under her pillow. She sat down and opened the envelope, recognizing Harry's handwriting at once and she smiled before she even began reading.

_**31 July**_

_**Dear Gin:**_

_**What can I say that could make you understand, even to the smallest degree, how much I love you? Words, obviously, will never do. I will dedicate myself to showing you every single day the depth of my love.**_

_**Tomorrow you become my wife, I'll be your husband and we will belong to each other forever. That's always been my dream. A dream that I never thought was possible – but that you made come true.**_

_**Before we're in front of all of those people tomorrow, let me tell you what I promise:**_

_**I promise to always be by your side, to support you no matter what.**_

_**I promise to love you more and more everyday.**_

_**I promise that I will never take you for granted – that I will always want and need you, and appreciate you.**_

_**I promise to try and always be kind to you. And when I'm not, please remind me of this promise.**_

_**I promise to be the best Dad that I can for our kids.**_

_**I promise to always love and to never forget pea.**_

_**I don't know what the future holds for us, love, but I know that there is no future for me unless I'm with you. You are my heart and soul – the very best part of me.**_

_**I hope you like your wedding present – I will explain it tomorrow! Oh, and this is only one of your gifts, you'll get your other one tomorrow.**_

_**I love you, and I will see you soon.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Harry**_

She shook her head, unable to come to terms with the emotions coursing through her. Harry's love for her and hers for him never ceased to amaze Ginny. She turned to the box and unwrapped it carefully. Inside was a small, bright blue rectangular piece of plastic that Ginny had never seen before. It had a dial on it and a small screen like a miniature television, but she had no idea what to do with it.

"Hmm…" she thought, "Harry will definitely have to explain this one tomorrow." She put it on her dresser, along with the pea's ring box, changed into her pajamas and settled into bed to dream about her wedding day.


	12. August Part I

_**A/N: Lyrics from Avril Lavigne's "I Will Be" and Westlife's "Unbreakable" appear here.**_

_**Sorry to split up this chapter, but when I got past 6000 words I figured that was enough torture for you guys. Part 2 will be up soon and will be the wedding night and honeymoon…**_

**AUGUST – Part 1 of 2 (The wedding and reception)**

The smell of coffee and bacon woke Harry up from a deep sleep the next morning. Kreacher had brought his breakfast up to him in his room, and Harry breathed in deep, enjoying the aroma.

"Thanks, Kreacher," Harry said, sitting up.

"Of course, Master," he replied. "With your permission, I am off to the Weasley's to lend my services."

"Oh, thank you, that would be fantastic. Could you please give that gift to Ginny for me?" Harry asked, pointing to a small box across the room.

"Of course," Kreacher said, taking the gift from Harry's dresser. The elf bowed and vanished with a "pop."

Harry looked out his window to the beautiful blue sky and stared at the puffy clouds for a moment and smiled and stretched his arms up. He looked over at his clock – 9:30AM – he had plenty of time. Ron was coming over about noon to dress here and help Harry get ready.

He thought instantly of Ginny, and hoped that she was able to relax a little this morning. Just as he was getting out of bed, Helena began tapping on his bedroom window, and he let the tiny owl in. He untied the note from her leg, and the owl flew out into the bright sunshine again.

_**1 August**_

_**Dear Harry:**_

_**Can you believe our day is finally here, love? We've come so far, haven't we? **_

_**Thank you for the wedding present! I have no idea what it is or what it does, but it's a pretty color! I love it, whatever it is.**_

_**There's so much I want to say, but the words never seem like enough, do they?**_

_**Please know now and always that I have never loved anyone more than you. You are my reason for being, my everything.**_

_**I hope you like your wedding present – but you don't get it until tonight. I think I'll like you unwrapping it as much as the present itself…**_

_**And you get two presents as well!**_

_**I love you, and I will see you at two. **_

_**Always,**_

_**Gin**_

He laughed and was touched all at the same time. He knew the feeling of trying to express what he felt for Ginny using words – they were just so inadequate. He thought it was great that she had no idea what he had gotten her for a gift, but he knew that she would love it once she knew how to work it.

He was intrigued when she said that she would like him unwrapping his gift as much as the gift itself. Hmm… that sounded promising. Harry hoped it was Ginny in skimpy lingerie.

He finished his breakfast and left the tray on his bed as he went into the bathroom. He took a long, hot shower and brushed his teeth. With a towel wrapped around his waist, Harry ran a brush through his hair, laughing because not even on his wedding day could his hair behave itself. He shaved and then threw on shorts and a t-shirt and went down to watch TV and wait for Ron.

**Xxx**

Things were a little bit more hectic for the Weasley's at the Burrow that morning, though. Mrs. Weasley was running around barking orders at anyone who didn't move fast enough. Bill, Ron, Mr. Weasley and Charlie were putting the finishing touches on the tent and the arch where Harry and Ginny would stand to recite their vows. The dais where the ceremony would take place had been set up for a couple of days, and the florist was working wonders with the beautiful flowers. Numerous enormous vases full of flowers stood every few feet around the perimeter of the tent, and a large cream bow with a calla lily tied into the center decorated every chair for the guests.

Ginny, meanwhile was trying her best to stay out of her Mum's way. She ate a hasty breakfast with Hermione and Ron, and then retreated to the bathroom for a nice, long soak. She lay there in the hot water and put her head back, thinking about tonight. She wondered if Harry would like the tattoo and she looked down to see it. She ran her fingers over it and was glad that it seemed to have healed nicely. It was perfect and she smiled thinking about his reaction.

She returned to her bedroom 30 minutes later and ran a brush through her long, red hair, trying to untangle it before it dried. Her Mum knocked 5 minutes later and handed her a package.

"Kreacher is downstairs, he came to help for the day, and he brought this for you from Harry."

"Oh, I didn't know he was coming to help today, that was a great idea. Thanks, Mum." Ginny took the small box and unwrapped it carefully. Inside was a small piece of parchment that read:

_**Gin:**_

_**This is your second present. I don't think you'll have any trouble guessing what this one is! I love you, and I will see you very soon.**_

_**Harry**_

She opened the small black box and her hand flew to her mouth.

"Oh, my God," she said. Her Mum, too, was overwhelmed by the gift. Inside the box was a pair of sparkling, flawless diamond studs, about ¾ carat each. "I can't believe him."

"They're incredible, Gin," her Mum said softly, helping her to place them in her ears. "Perfect." Mrs. Weasley wiped the tears from her eyes, and looked at her beautiful daughter. "You are a very lucky woman, Gin. Harry loves you so much."

"I know it, trust me," her daughter answered. "I don't know what I did right in my life to deserve him, but I'm never letting him go."

Her Mum smiled. "I wish you all the happiness in the world, love, I truly do." Her Mum took her into her arms, and Ginny nodded. "They'll be beautiful with your dress. Now, get ready because Fleur is downstairs and she's coming up to do your hair and makeup."

"Okay," Ginny said, getting up to put some clothes on. "Mum?"

"Yes?" Her Mum said as she turned around.

"I love you, and thank you so much for everything. I know that I can be a pain sometimes, but I really appreciate everything you and Dad have done for me – loving me, protecting me and…letting me go."

Her Mum smiled and nodded. "That's our job, and we wouldn't have traded it for anything." Her Mum smiled at Ginny, turned and left the room, leaving Ginny smiling and stroking her belly. She exhaled,

"I know what you mean."

Fleur entered a minute later, and all thoughts were gone from Ginny's mind as her sister-in-law talked non-stop about the wedding, her dress, the decorations and flowers, anything and everything. Ginny smiled and got caught up in Fleur's excitement, too, wishing for 2:00 to come swiftly. She couldn't wait to see Harry.

**Xxx**

Ron flooed to Harry's at noon and found him asleep on the couch with the TV turned on to a comedy show. Ron laughed and kicked Harry's leg.

"Wake up, you git," he shouted. "You know, you're getting married today, you should try to be a little nervous."

Harry laughed as he sat up on the couch. "What is there to be nervous about? It's Ginny."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Seriously? No second thoughts? No cold feet?"

"Nope, not one," Harry responded, getting up. "How about a snack?"

"Yeah," Ron responded, "It's been hours since breakfast."

They headed towards the kitchen to see what Kreacher had left for them. They found cold fried chicken and some biscuits, which they munched happily.

"How's Ginny – is she nervous?" Harry asked.

"Dunno, didn't really see much of her today. She stayed upstairs mostly. The backyard looks great, though!"

Harry smiled, "I'm sure it does. I can imagine your Mum flying around the house yelling at everyone," Harry said with a smile. "I can't wait to get over there."

And at 1:30PM, Harry was there. He flooed to the Burrow with Ron, and Mrs. Weasley met him at the fireplace and brought him into a hug. "Oh, Harry, you look wonderful!"

"Thanks, and you look beautiful. Ginny was right, that dress is perfect for you," Harry said.

Mrs. Weasley turned the color of her hair and waived away his compliment, but Harry could tell she was pleased.

"Everything is so beautiful, Mrs. Weasley, thank you for all of your hard work," he said. "I can't believe this day is finally here. How is Ginny doing?"

"She's really good, very calm, she looks beautiful. Hermione is upstairs with her."

It took all of Harry's willpower not to run up the stairs and see her. He walked to the bottom of the stairs and looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but no such luck. Instead he turned and made his way through the kitchen and into the backyard. Most of the guests had already assembled, and they were milling around waiting for the ceremony to begin. Harry made his way to Professor McGonagall.

"Professor? Or should I say Headmistress?" Harry asked smiling at his favorite teacher, pulling her out of earshot of the other guests and into a brief hug.

"Mr. Potter!" she replied, returning his hug. "I think that you have earned the right to finally call me Minerva, so please do."

He smiled, nodded and lowered his voice. "I wanted to take a minute to thank you for everything you've done for me and Ginny, especially this past year. I appreciate you looking after her this spring when she needed someone."

"It's quite alright. The two of you have always been close to my heart. It pained me to see Miss Weasley's struggles this year, but I was proud of how she rebounded and ended the year with such high marks. I am extraordinarily proud of both of you."

"Thank you," he said, grinning. "And, thank you for letting her come home to me in March without asking her any questions. Without that trip, I don't think we would be standing here right now." He gave her a knowing look and she nodded solemnly, understanding just what he meant.

"I'm glad that I was there to help. If any two people deserve to be happy, it's you two, Harry."

Harry pulled her into his arms again. "Thank you." She smiled and returned to the other guests.

Harry stood alone for a minute then, taking time to truly appreciate his surroundings. He shook his head in disbelief as his eyes rested on the rows of white chairs with ribbons and flowers everywhere, the tent and their wedding arch were beautiful, and it smelled wonderful. Lilies were everywhere he looked, and he was touched that Ginny had remembered to include them.

The dais where he and Ginny would be married was framed by an arch that was covered in hundreds of fragrant flowers, and the wedding cake stood in the corner on its own table, classic and elegant, square-shaped and topped by the same topper that had been on Ginny's parent's cake. He couldn't stop smiling.

He waved to Hagrid then and was about to go and say hello when Ron peeked out from the kitchen door.

"Harry," Ron whispered to him, signaling him inside. "It's time." For the first time today, Harry felt nervous as they made their way back to the kitchen.

Ginny was resplendent. Hermione had spent the last half-hour buttoning Ginny's gown up the back and straightening her train. The gown was a perfect fit.

"Ginny, you look beautiful and the earrings are perfect," Hermione said, slightly awed.

"Thank you," Ginny responded, tearing. "Hermione, is this real? I feel like I'm having an out-of-body thing here." Ginny laughed.

"Very real, yes..." Hermione grinned and then looked out Ginny's window into the backyard. "It looks like a full house, Gin. Are you ready?"

"Absolutely," she replied, hesitating. "Can I just take a minute alone?"

"Sure," Hermione replied, hugging her quickly. "I'll send your Dad up to help you down the stairs, shall I?"

"Yes, thanks, Hermione…for everything." Hermione smiled at her best friend and left the room, closing the door after her.

Ginny stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror, unable to believe that she was about to marry Harry. She smiled at the thought and placed Aunt Muriel's tiara on her head, holding the veil securely in place and complimenting her new earrings perfectly.

"One more thing," she said aloud, and made her way over to her dresser. She picked up the small ring box and braced herself as she opened it. Inside was the beautiful ruby and diamond ring that Harry had given to her. She took it from its bed and placed it on the middle finger of her right hand.

"You're right here with me pea." She brought the ring to her lips once and slipped her engagement ring onto the ring finger of the same hand. She looked back to her bedside table and stared at the silver rattle for a second.

A gentle knock caused Ginny to turn her thoughts back to the present. "Come on in, Dad."

He entered and stopped two feet into her room.

"Ginny, honey…you're stunning." He came to her and took her in his arms.

"Thanks, Dad. How are you holding up?" she asked.

"Fine, fine. Your Mum - I'm not so sure." He paused and smiled, looking his daughter in her deep brown eyes, taking her hands in his. "Ginny, you have no idea how difficult today is for me. You are my little girl, my pride and joy and I have no idea how I'm going to hand you off to someone else today, even if it is Harry Potter. You were always the one that could make me laugh and your smiles lit up my life. It's going to be so strange to come home at night and not find you here. I know, I'm just being selfish because I wanted you here forever, and I am truly happy for you, honey. Harry is a fine man, and the only one that I can ever imagine being good enough for you. I hope that you find everything that you want in your marriage, but I'm going to miss you."

Ginny threw her arms around his neck, hugging her Dad hard. "You have no idea how much I'm going to miss you, too. I love you so much – you were the first man in my life. But, I finally found someone that's almost as loving as my Daddy, and that hasn't been easy! You showed me what a good man is supposed to be, and I love you for it. I'll always be your little girl, Dad, no matter what."

He wiped his tears and recovered enough to laugh a little with Ginny. "What do you say we go downstairs and get you married off?"

"Yeah," she said serenely, nodding. "I'm ready."

**xxx**

Downstairs, the guests had all taken their seats and Harry's favorite piece of classical music began playing softly as he and Ron processed up their aisle to take their places on the dais, Kingsley already in place. Once he had stepped up on the platform, Harry turned to look at the guests. He shook his head in amazement, honored that these people that he loved were there to support Ginny and himself.

Mrs. Weasley and Charlie followed him and Ron, and she took her seat in the front row, beaming at Harry. She turned then, as did Harry, to the back of the tent. The music was made a bit louder to announce that Hermione had started her descent down the aisle. Harry turned to look at Ron, whose wide grin took up his whole face, and laughed softly at his friend.

Hermione looked beautiful, and glided down the aisle towards the front. Her gown floated around her like a cloud, and the color was perfect for her. The deep bronze of the dress set off the glow from her summer tan perfectly, and her hair was smooth and sleek. It had been straightened for the occasion, with a deep part on her left side, her hair swept across her forehead and secured with a sparkling pin. She reached the platform, and Harry took her hand to help her with the step, and she hugged him tightly before taking her place and turning.

The music segued smoothly into the Wedding March, and the guests rose from their seats and turned towards the back of the tent.

Ginny stood there for a moment with her father looking ethereal, and not a bit nervous. Harry, on the other hand, had never been more nervous in his life. Not at the thought of marrying Ginny, but of thinking that this magnificent creature was somehow his. His cheeks ached from smiling.

He shook his head once again, the tears beginning in earnest, and Ron placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry was so overcome that his happiness couldn't be contained and the tears trickled down his cheeks. He refused to duck his head or wipe his tears – that would mean that he would miss a moment of Ginny's walk to him, and he didn't want to miss a second of it.

Ginny walked through the tent, her dress' train following her regally and her eyes met Harry's. She saw him and felt calm, at peace, knowing that she was right where she was supposed to be. She smiled at the fact that she could see his tears from here, knowing that he was crying tears of joy, and they were all for her.

She swept down the aisle with her father, her spray of calla lilies lying across her left arm, her right linked through her Dad's. The rings on her right hand sparkled in the daylight, and she rubbed them with her pinky. She looked from side to side at the guests gathered there and it warmed her heart that she was surrounded by people that she loved, and they were here to celebrate her love for Harry.

When she finally reached the front, Harry stepped down from the dais and finally wiped his tears. Mr. Weasley extended his hand to Harry and he took it, bringing him into a hug.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," was all he could manage to say.

Mr. Weasley clapped Harry on the back. "I love you, son. Welcome to the family…officially." The two men grinned at each other.

Mr. Weasley removed Ginny's arm from his, hugged and kissed her and – in a gesture as old as time - placed her hand in Harry's. The electricity that shot through them both at that first initial touch made them smile. Harry took her right hand in his and placed his left on the small of her back, helping her onto the platform.

"Thank you," she whispered. She handed her flowers to Hermione and turned back to Harry.

"You're so incredibly beautiful, Gin, your dress…" Harry replied, leaving his thought unfinished. He held her right hand and noticed the ruby ring on her middle finger. He ran his thumb along the stones gently, making Ginny choke up once again. She smiled and nodded to him as Harry looked up and met her eyes.

Kingsley cleared his throat and began in his deep baritone,

"Friends and family, we're gathered together today for a unique and very special celebration. It's not everyday that we're blessed enough to witness true love, but we are among those so blessed. Harry and Ginny share this very kind of love, deep and true – they are two halves of the same soul. I have no doubt that their bond of love will last forever, and I am honored that I will be able to bear witness to one of the great love stories of our lifetime as it grows and flourishes."

Harry and Ginny looked at each other and smiled, still grasping hands. Harry squeezed Ginny's lightly and winked at her.

Kingsley continued, "Here we go, are you both ready?" he joked and Harry and Ginny both smiled at him.

"Yes, Sir," Harry said to his new boss, chuckling.

Kingsley smiled and continued, "Harry James Potter, do you take Ginevra Molly Weasley to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, forsaking all others until death do you part?"

Harry squeezed Ginny's hand and they were both trembling. "I do," he said in a strong voice as tears trickled from his eyes. Ginny's smile lit up her face as she looked at Harry, and she reached up and wiped the tears from his face. He stood there with Ginny in a state of complete awe. "I love you so much," he whispered.

"And do you Ginevra Molly Weasley," Kingsley said, "take Harry James Potter to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, forsaking all others until death do you part?"

"I do," Ginny replied and Harry rubbed his thumb along her hand and smiled, his eyes dancing. She was crying.

"Do you have rings to exchange?" Kingsley asked.

"We do," they said, and Ron laid the two platinum and diamond rings in Kingsley's hand. He held up his wand and spun it quickly over the rings in his hand. They were bathed in a golden light briefly as Kingsley murmured an indiscernible incantation over them. He gave Ginny's ring to Harry and Harry's to Ginny and continued,

"Harry, please place Ginny's ring on her finger."

Harry took Ginny's left hand gently and placed his Mum's ring on Ginny's hand, then took the engagement ring from her right hand and placed it over her wedding ring. They were a perfect match. He took her left hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her rings. He whispered to Ginny so only she could hear, "_I give you this ring as a symbol of my eternal love and devotion."_ Ginny's tears began again.

"Ginny, please place Harry's ring on his finger."

Ginny took Harry's trembling hand and squeezed it gently. She slid his ring on easily, then grasped his hand in both of hers and looked up into his beautiful, shimmering green eyes. She, too, whispered tenderly, "_I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine_." Harry's answering smile was brilliant and Ginny smiled, too.

Kingsley smiled at them and continued, "By the power vested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce that you are bonded for life," Harry and Ginny beamed at each other, and Ginny laughed out loud. "Harry, please kiss your beautiful bride."

Harry took a deep breath, reached up with both hands to cradle Ginny's face and leaned in. Ginny met him halfway, and the newlyweds kissed. Ginny threw her arms around her husband's neck and Harry wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and they kissed again and again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you for the first time…Mr. and Mrs. Harry James Potter…" Kingsley said and the couple turned towards their guests, their smiles lighting up their faces, their joy palpable.

The applause was enormous. The guests stood up and shared in the couple's happiness. Hermione handed Ginny back her flowers, and Harry and his bride walked up the aisle to the back of the tent hand in hand, smiling at their guests. Once they reached the back, Harry took Ginny in his arms, kissed her and dipped her low, making Ginny laugh.

Hermione and Ron interrupted them then, and hugged each of them. Then, the couple was swarmed with well-wishers. They moved among their guests accepting their congratulations, hugs and kisses. Ginny felt so elated, she thought she would never come down from this high. Harry caught her eye occasionally and winked at her, not believing that they now belonged to each other.

The chairs from the ceremony were magically moved and the dining tables were settled in place and instantly set beautifully, the chairs returning to their places around the tables. The guests began to mingle once again as the hors d'oeuvres were passed around, and the beverages flowed freely. Angelina began the music and the dance floor was crowded in a moment's time. Harry came back to Ginny's side as soon as he could and snaked his arm around her waist, handing her a glass of champagne.

"Harry," Ginny said simply, as a contented sigh.

"We did it," he said and kissed her neck. He clinked his glass with hers and raised it to his lips.

"Yes, we did," she smiled at him and took a sip. "To us, love."

"To us." They leaned in for another deep kiss.

"Don't you just love my dress?!" Luna asked, interrupting the couple. "Listen!" Luna moved around them, twirling and laughing with her arms stretched above her head, as her dress "swished" with her every step.

Harry grinned wide. "It's really beautiful, Luna. You look stunning."

"Yes," she agreed, "but _listen!_" she repeated and twirled again. "Isn't the sound lovely?"

Harry looked at Ginny, who was trying desperately not to burst out laughing. He finally managed to say, "It sounds beautiful, just like…the wind…or something?" he finished lamely, and Ginny grabbed his arm, suppressing a giggle.

"Yes," Luna said peacefully, happy that he seemed to understand "The wind…" and she walked away, gazing up at the ceiling of the tent, twirling and laughing every few steps.

Ginny ducked her head low and giggled uncontrollably. "I told you!" she said to Harry. "Isn't she fantastic?! She is so other-worldly – she's just_ magical_ – no pun intended."

"Luna is definitely something special." Harry agreed, nodding and laughing, his eyes following Luna's trail through the tent until she found Neville and took his arm.

Just then, the music softened and the couple heard Angelina's voice ring out,

"Good afternoon, everyone and welcome. Will Mr. and Mrs. Potter make their way to the center of the dance floor, please?" Harry put down their glasses, took Ginny's hand and led her onto the dance floor and stood in the middle, looking at Angelina.

"It's a tradition that the newly married couple has their first dance as husband and wife, but when do Harry and Ginny ever do anything that's conventional?" The guests laughed appreciatively and Harry and Ginny smiled, a blush creeping onto Ginny's cheeks.

"Instead of having _one_ first dance, this special couple will be having two. Harry has chosen a special song for Ginny and Ginny has chosen one for Harry. Neither of them knew what the other one chose until this moment. Instead of dancing alone, Harry and Ginny invite you to share in their first dances, so please join them on the dance floor."

Harry and Ginny looked around as couple after couple joined them on the large dance floor. They were surrounded by loving couples: Ginny's parents, Bill and Fleur, Percy and Audrey, Neville and Luna, Ron and Hermione. Hagrid took Professor McGonagall's hand, and they stood on the edge of the floor. When the music began, there were thirty couples on the floor, sharing in the first dance.

George joined Angelina on her platform, she took his hand and smiled and continued softly, "This is Ginny's song for Harry." The first strains of the song began, and everyone began to sway.

"So, are you going to tell me what it is?" Harry asked.

"Nope," she replied, "You'll just have to listen." Harry pulled her close and began to move slowly around the dance floor.

_There's nothing I could say to you,_

_Nothing I could ever do to make you see_

_What you mean to me._

_All the pain, all the tears I cried,_

_Still you never said goodbye and now I know_

_How far you'd go._

"Gin, it's beautiful," Harry said.

"I thought it was perfect for us, that line always makes me think of pea," she replied. He nodded.

"You are the most incredible person I've ever met, and I love you so much."

Ginny laid her head on his shoulder and said, "Me, too, Harry."

_I know I let you down, But it's not like that now._

_This time I'll never let you go._

_I will be all that you want, and gather myself together_

_Cause you keep me from falling apart._

_All my life I'll be with you forever,_

_To get you through the day and make everything okay._

_I thought that I had everything,_

_I didn't know what life could bring_

_But, now I see, honestly, you're the one thing I got right,_

_The only one I let inside._

_Now I can breathe, 'cause you're here with me._

"Gin," Harry said, stroking her beautiful red hair that was hanging down her back in long, loose curls.

"I'll never let you down again, Harry," Ginny said, looking into his eyes.

"You never have, Gin," he replied seriously. "Please, don't ever think you have, you never could."

_And if I let you down, I'll turn it all around_

_Cause I would never let you go._

_Cause without you I can't breathe,_

_I'm not gonna ever, ever let you leave._

_You're all I've got you're all I want, yeah._

_And without you I don't know what I'd do,_

_I can never, ever live a day without you._

_Here with me, do you see?_

_You're all I need._

The last strains of the song ended and everyone applauded. Harry buried his face in Ginny's hair and whispered, "Thank you."

Ginny pulled back and nodded. "It said what I always wanted to say – exactly how I feel. Now we hear yours!" She said as they laughed.

On cue, Angelina continued, "Please continue dancing because here is Harry's song for Ginny." She turned back into George's arms and they, too, began to dance again.

_Took my hand, touched my heart_

_Held me close, you were always there._

_By my side, night and day,_

_Through it all, baby come what may._

_Swept away on a wave of emotion_

_Oh, we're caught in the eye of the storm._

_And, whenever you smile I can hardly believe that you're mine,_

_Believe that you're mine._

Ginny pulled Harry closer and continued to sway. Mrs. and Mrs. Weasley passed them at that moment, and ran their hands over their backs. The newlyweds kept dancing, smiling all the while.

_This love is unbreakable, it's unmistakable._

_And each time I look in your eyes, I know why._

_This love is untouchable, a feeling my heart just can't deny._

_Each time I look in your eyes, oh baby, I know why._

_This love is unbreakable._

_Share the laughter, share the tears._

_We both know we'll go on from here._

'_Cause together, we are strong._

_In my arms that's where you belong._

_I've been touched by the hands of an angel,_

_I've been blessed by the power of love._

_And, whenever you smile, I can hardly believe that you're mine._

Ron and Hermione circled them just then and Hermione winked at Harry as Ron leaned in and gave his sister a kiss. "Congratulations, Gin," Ron whispered to her and Ginny smiled at him, "thanks." He and Hermione twirled away, and Ginny returned her eyes to her husband's.

_This love is unbreakable, through fire and flame._

_When all this is over, our love still remains._

_This love is unbreakable, it's unmistakable._

_Each time I look in your eyes, I know why._

_This love is untouchable, a feeling my heart just can't deny._

_Each time you whisper my name, oh baby, I know why._

'_Cause each time I look in your eyes, oh baby, I know why._

_This love is unbreakable._

The song ended but Ginny didn't let Harry go. She kept him in her arms for a minute, happiness coursing through her. Harry picked her up easily and twirled her around in the air, making her laugh out loud. He put her back on the ground and kissed her soundly, the guests bursting into applause. Harry finally released Ginny, blushing but smiling.

The guests returned to their seats after a few more songs, and Angelina said, "Everyone, please direct your attention to the best man who will say a few words."

Ron, who was seated next to Harry, rose from his chair, holding his champagne flute in his hand. He cleared his throat and turned bright red as all eyes fell upon him.

"Umm…" he flushed and grimaced and looked down at the table. "When Harry first told me about his feelings for my sister, to say that I was not thrilled would be an understatement." The guests laughed appreciatively. "Not because he's a bad guy," Ron tried to correct himself, unsuccessfully, and he scowled at himself, "but because I thought that no one would ever be good enough for Ginny. Thankfully, I was wrong."

Ron peered down at Harry and Ginny who were looking at him with moist eyes. "Harry is my best mate and the most selfless and generous person that I know. I'm so honored to be standing here today, supporting the marriage of my sister to my best friend. If you want to know what love and devotion is, look no further then right here," he placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and looked into Ginny's eyes. "I couldn't ask for anybody better for my little sister then Harry. But, I'll tell you what, mate, you're gonna have your hands full keeping _this_ one in line," he pointed his thumb at Ginny, and Harry laughed out loud, as did all of the other guests.

"Shut it, Ron!" Ginny said good-naturedly and Harry smiled at her.

Ron laughed and continued, "Everyone please join me in congratulating my best friend and my little sister, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Potter." Ron raised his glass and the guests followed suit as they drank to Harry and Ginny. Harry pulled Ron into a tight hug and murmured "thanks" into his shoulder, then Ron embraced Ginny and she punched him in the arm. He laughed at her and sat back down.

Once the cheers had died down, Angelina said, "Now we will hear from the maid of honor, Hermione Granger."

Hermione smiled and stood. Taking a deep breath, she began, "Two of my very best friends got married today and I couldn't be more thrilled for them. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't met Harry on the Hogwarts express our first day of school," she said, "although I might not have as many scars and scrapes as I do now," she looked at Harry and laughed and he half-smiled back, his eyes going a little dull at the mention of her scars.

Seeing his reaction, she hastened to add, "I wouldn't trade them for the world, Harry, because they mean that you came into my life and enriched it immeasurably. And Ginny, thankfully you followed Ron to Hogwarts the next year and you became my best friend. We've been through lots of ups and downs in our lives, especially this past year, and I feel so blessed that we can rely on each other for love and support. As wonderful as the two of you are separately, you're that much more incredible together. To be around the two of you and to be included in your happiness is a heady thing, and you share this gift freely with everyone who loves you." Hermione turned to the guests assembled and said,

"To Harry and Ginny, may your years together bring you nothing but happiness and joy." She raised her glass as did everyone else, and they drank to the newlyweds. Ginny stood and embraced Hermione for a long while - the friends simply held each other.

The day continued with laughter and a few tears (mostly from Mrs. Weasley, but they were tears of joy). The highlight of the night came when George set off a spectacular fireworks show just after dusk.

Kreacher proved to be indispensible throughout the afternoon. He would appear briefly refilling trays or drinks, picking up trash and empty plates and glasses and then disappear again. By the time dinner was finished and the guests began dancing again, everything in the Weasley's kitchen had been cleaned and put away, and every surface was tidy and sparkling. Mrs. Weasley was eternally grateful for his help, it allowed her to actually enjoy the wedding and not have to worry about her guests. Kreacher had been a godsend for her.

Most of the crowd began to disperse around midnight, with just the family remaining until just after 1AM, reliving the day. The light never left Ginny's eyes, everything had been perfect. It took Harry and Ginny nearly fifteen minutes to wish everyone goodnight. They were passed from person to person, given hugs and kisses by everyone.

"Have a wonderful honeymoon!" Gin's Mum said as they approached the fireplace. George had run upstairs to get the final bag that Ginny had packed that day so she could take it with her.

"We will! We'll see you when we get back, and thank you all so much for everything," Harry said, and they were gone.


	13. August Part II

**AUGUST – Part 2 of 2 (The wedding night and honeymoon)**

The newlyweds arrived at Grimmauld Place, dropped everything in the library and playfully raced each other all the way up the stairs to Harry's bedroom.

"Okay," said Harry, slightly out of breath. "First things first…." he said as he slowly approached Ginny… "where's my wedding present?" He smirked at Ginny and she laughed out loud.

"Well, if that's what you want _**first**_, then hold on…" Ginny kicked off her shoes and ran down the stairs and grabbed the bag that they had dropped there and brought it back to the bedroom with her, smiling all the way.

She flipped the bag onto the bed and unzipped it. "Here you go, present #1. Hermione helped me with it – I had no idea what I was looking at!" she said as she handed him the package. He laughed with her, but took the package and unwrapped it.

"Wow, this is great!" He said, turning the new digital camera every which way, examining it from every angle. "This is perfect."

"I thought we could take it with us tomorrow."

"Perfect," he repeated. "Thank you."

She smiled, "You're welcome. And, while we're at it, can you explain this to me now?" She pulled out the present that he had given to her yesterday and handed it to him. He laughed as he opened the package and pulled out all of the components.

"It's called an iPod," he said, chuckling. He inserted the earbuds and showed her how to place them in her ears. He explained the buttons and how to adjust the volume and move from playlist to playlist, etc. He had bought it the week before and had already downloaded 400 songs and 5 movies for her to bring on their trip. Once she got the hang of it, she loved it.

"Okay," Harry said, removing her bag from their bed and dropping it to the floor. "Now you've gotten both of your presents, but I've only gotten one of mine. So, where's my other present?" He asked jokingly and smiled at Ginny.

Ginny eyes started blazing into Harry's, bringing her arms around his neck and into his hair. She whispered, "Well, that one, you're just going to have to find…" she bit his ear playfully. Harry looked at her and smiled. She kissed him deeply.

"Hmm..." he said, intrigued. "Maybe, _you're_ the package then…and I have to unwrap _you_?" he asked, his voice dropping, his eyes teasing but intense.

"Maybe…" she answered him and licked his jaw. That was all the invitation Harry needed. He never let her go as he started undoing the multitude of buttons running down Ginny's back. She worked on undoing the buttons of Harry's shirt as he kissed her and her hands ran over his chest as Harry continued unfastening her buttons. When he finally freed the last one, he let her dress drop to the floor. Ginny bent and picked it up, and draped it over the nearest chair. She turned to face Harry.

Harry took a second to let his eyes graze over Ginny's body from head to toe, instantly aware of the affect that she was having on his own body, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

"My God, Gin, you're beautiful." She smiled in return and started walking towards him again, slowly.

"Thanks, you look quite amazing, too. I almost attacked you about _fifteen_ times today," she said. "It was very hard to keep my hands off of you."

"Only fifteen? I'm losing my touch," he teased.

"Oh, no, I think you've still got it." She smiled as she walked closer to Harry and he froze as his eyes took in something out of place on her stomach. He stared at it as she reached him, not seeing her smirk as she realized what he saw.

He slowly began to smile as he recognized what he was seeing. A hint of red was peeking from the white lace panties that she had on. "Oh, you _**didn't**_…" he said as a smile spread wide across his face. He ran a finger from her shoulder, over her nipple and down her stomach until he came to the wide lace edge of her panties. He dipped his finger under it, pulling them down enough for him to see the tattoo in its entirety.

Harry's face lit up as he traced the delicate heart and his name with his finger over and over again. "Oh, my God…it's beautiful…" he said, "but…when?"

She was smiling, too. "The night of your bachelor party."

"Thank you, Gin…" he said softly. Harry picked Ginny up and carried her to their enormous bed, depositing her in the middle of it. She removed the rest of her clothes as he removed his and he joined her on the bed a second later, positioning himself at her hip. "But, I think I need a closer look at it…"

Ginny laughed as Harry laid down, his head level with her hip and he examined her tattoo in minute detail. First he traced it with his fingers, then with his lips, then with his tongue and Ginny studied him the entire time.

"Does this mean that you're _mine_, then?" Harry asked as he traced his name on her hip and looked into her eyes.

"Oh, yeah," she responded, beginning to breathe deeply in response to his attention. Harry had moved in between her thighs and had spread her lips with his thumbs. He breathed in deep, enjoying the scent of Ginny's arousal.

"I love you, Gin," he said softly and licked her core over and over again. Ginny couldn't respond – she felt like she was melting into the mattress. She couldn't move if she wanted to, she was so overcome with pleasure. When Harry finally inserted two fingers into her core and pulled on her clit with his lips, Ginny exploded onto his fingers and screamed his name.

Harry smiled and pulled himself back up to Ginny and when he did she was panting and tiny beads of perspiration were spread across her forehead and lips. She smiled and kissed him as he lay down and rested his head against her chest, tracing his fingers across her nipple.

"Does it hurt?" he asked. She was confused at first, and then smiled.

She chuckled at the sudden change the direction his thoughts had taken, she hadn't recovered yet from his very intense and very intimate study of her body. "No, not at all," she said. "As soon as he was finished, the pain was gone."

"Hmm…" Harry said, the gleam returning to his eyes and he looked up at Ginny, propping himself up on his elbow. "This means that you're a bit of a bad girl then, aren't you?"

Ginny laughed, biting her lip, "Maybe…" and she smiled wide, kissing Harry hard while pushing him onto his back, her legs landing on either side of his hips. Harry was momentarily distracted by the long, lean muscles of Ginny's inner thighs. "Do you like that?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah," he mimicked her. It was all that he could manage to say before Ginny drove him into a frenzy. She was making her way down his chest, kissing every inch as she went – her hair grazing lightly across Harry's chest as she moved from side to side. She flicked out her tongue over his nipples and pulled on them gently with her teeth, making Harry groan and close his eyes.

He reached out for her and slid his fingers gently through her silky hair. He touched her shoulders, her face, her arms. "So soft," he muttered as he was forced to close his eyes again. She lay down between his legs and sucked on the flesh on the inside of his thighs and Harry moaned. She stroked her cheeks against his manhood and Harry nearly came out of his skin – the sensations were incredible! She licked his shaft from bottom to top and took him as far into her mouth as she could.

"Fuck, Ginny…oh, God…" Harry yelled, pulling her up by her shoulders. "Please…" Ginny released Harry and sat up, straddling his thighs.

"God, Harry, I want you so much…" she said softly, staring at his pulsing erection.

"Jesus, Gin…please…" he begged again. Ginny moved forward and took him in her hand gently, directing him into her core and she rocked her hips forward, sheathing him deep inside herself. She moaned at having Harry inside her once again and her head fell forward, draping her hair across his stomach.

"Mmm…Harry…" she said, lifting her head and looking into his deep emerald eyes, rocking back and forth on top of him. "Love…you…"

"Jesus, Ginny..ugh…God…love you," he managed, his breathing becoming more and more labored.

Ginny increased her pace, and Harry began bucking his hips, meeting her thrusts, until they came together, screaming each other's names into the night.

Ginny collapsed into Harry's arms, sweat making their bodies slippery.

They managed to sleep for about an hour before Harry woke Ginny again, ready for another round of lovemaking, and Ginny was happy to oblige. They fell into this pattern for the rest of the night, alternating between sleep and loving each other until they could see the sky lightening.

They smiled, as they had all night, and finally fell back onto their bed exhausted, but exultant.

"Wow, did we get a million times better at that or what?!" Ginny exclaimed, turning to Harry and laughing.

'Yeah," he muttered, panting. "I just hope I live through the honeymoon."

She grinned and they lay there floating in and out of sleep for the next two hours. Harry stirred later and noticed the bright sunshine pouring in through the bedroom windows. He turned over quickly and grabbed his glasses from the bedside table and looked at the clock, panicking slightly at the thought that they may miss their plane. He groaned and then rolled over to wake Ginny.

He stopped suddenly as he looked at his wife, _his wife_, lying there in their bed with the rays of the sun shining through her hair and a small, but distinct smile on her face. Harry smiled, too, and leaned down to kiss her. As he did, he came to the realization that he was going to be able to do this every single day for the rest of his life. His life was perfect at this moment.

"Gin, I hate to say this, but we have to leave in an hour if we have any hope of making our plane," Harry said and laughed. Ginny groaned, she turned over towards him without opening her eyes.

"Morning…" she said and smiled at Harry.

"Good morning, love," he replied, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss. She smiled and stroked her hand across his cheek.

"Oh, God, Harry!" she said, her eyes snapping open fully to look at him. "Please don't ever shave again!" she said, laughing as she sat up, kissing his face everywhere. "I love it when you get stubble like this. You look so rugged."

Harry laughed out loud, his eyes sparkling. "Yeah, maybe if I grew eight inches in height and gained forty pounds, then I'd look rugged," he laughed again and Ginny shoved him playfully.

"Don't you dare! I love you just like this…naked and thin and beautiful."

Harry shook his head, smiling. "You're a nutter. Let's go - we have to get moving."

Ginny laughed as she dragged him out of bed, heading towards the shower. "Then, we need to save some time and shower together," he said laughing. "C'mon!"

"Oh, Jesus, you're gonna kill me," Harry replied, but followed her, not looking like he'd mind that kind of death.

**xxx**

The couple made it to Heathrow and through security with thirty minutes to spare. They boarded the plane to Alexandria and settled in for the six hour flight. The flight was uneventful, however, so they were able to sleep for most of the flight, trying to make up for the substantial amount of sleep that they lost last night. Ginny plugged in her iPod and shared her earbuds with Harry, turned on the music and promptly fell asleep.

They landed in Alexandria on time, and thanks to Harry's careful planning, they were met at the airport by a car service and were taken to their hotel. The hotel was beautiful, decorated in deep earth tones accentuated with dark red touches throughout the space.

Harry walked up to the counter, "We're checking in, please…Harry and Ginny Potter." He looked over at Ginny and laughed at the expression on her face – she stood there wearing a sappy grin. "What?" he asked her.

"Nothing – it's just…that was the first time I heard you say that," she replied, still smiling. He shook his head in amusement.

The bellhop was summoned and they were escorted to their suite. They spent the rest of the day in bed, too exhausted to even think about venturing outside. The ordered dinner to be sent up to the suite, and they relaxed in the sitting area, watching movies and resting.

The next day, Harry had arranged with the hotel for him and Ginny to join a tour group to the pyramids, located about 16 miles from their hotel. The heat was overwhelming and very nearly suffocating when they left the hotel. Thankfully, the tour bus was air-conditioned, but the time they took exploring the pyramids and the surrounding areas left Harry and Ginny hot and sweaty and exhausted.

They took tons of fun pictures, however, and Ginny acted as Harry's own personal guide, as she had been here before when her Dad had won the money through the Ministry of Magic.

The following day, Harry and Ginny walked into town early in the morning and meandered through the market place. Ginny bought fun gifts for her family and bought Harry a fez. She almost peed in her pants when Harry put it on his head and could hardly hold the camera because she was laughing so hard as she snapped his picture.

They were heading back to the hotel in the early afternoon, hot and sweaty from the blazing sun, when Harry leaned in and whispered in Ginny's ear, "I can't believe you wore that tank top, Gin. All I want to do is rip it off of you and feast on your breasts."

Ginny smiled and shivered at the thought, her nipples instantly erect. Harry noticed and couldn't rip his eyes away from her chest. "Fuck, Ginny!" he said, looking around.

He took her by the hand and entered a small café at the edge of the street, and pulled her towards the men's restroom. Harry checked and made sure that no one was in there, then pulled Ginny in and locked the door, casting "muffliato."

Harry turned her and slammed her back against the door, pushing up her tank top and taking her nipple into his mouth, biting down lightly. Ginny threw her head back and moaned. "Fuck, Harry, yes!"

Without preamble, Harry pushed down his shorts to his knees and pushed her skirt up, wrapped Ginny's legs around his waist and entered her fast and hard.

It only took a few thrusts before Ginny was writhing beneath him and Harry came hard, pulsing into Ginny, making her cry out in pleasure. He continued to pump in and out of her, rubbing her clit in deep circles until she cried out with her release. Panting, Harry put her down and she straightened her skirt as he pulled up his shorts. She wrapped her arms around him and dug her hands into his hair.

"I fucking love you, Harry. Don't ever stop doing that to me," she breathed into his ear.

"Never," he said, getting his breathing back to normal. "I'll never stop wanting you, Gin."

They walked into their suite sweaty once again from the unrelenting heat and Ginny immediately headed towards to shower. She left a trail of clothes in her wake as she walked to the bathroom and Harry followed her with his eyes as she undressed as she walked.

He raked over the curves of her body as first her sandals were kicked off, then her skirt, followed by her tank top and finally her panties were tossed to him as she looked back and noticed that he was watching her intently. She laughed at his reaction at being caught and ran to the bathroom as he chased her.

They never made it to the pool that day as was their plan, but spent the remainder of their stay in Alexandria in bed.

"Harry, let's make a vow," Ginny said seriously.

He looked at her with knitted brows, "Okay, what kind of vow?"

"Let's promise to spend at least one day in each of our destinations doing touristy things. We'll take lots of pictures and we'll tell everyone how much fun we had, and the rest of the time we won't have to feel guilty about spending every other waking second in bed."

Harry laughed so hard that he started choking. He had to sit up and Ginny smacked him on the back a couple of times before he was able to catch his breath. Ginny was smiling, too, as he finally faced her with a huge grin on his face.

"You are just the perfect woman, do you know that?" he sputtered. "Brilliant."

She smiled and said, "We definitely have enough pictures of Egypt, so…"

She never got to finish her sentence, though. Harry crushed his lips to hers, and they never came up for air until they left for the airport the following morning.

**Xxx**

The flight from Alexandria to Athens was a short one, and Ginny spent the flight looking out the window as they flew over the incredibly blue water of the Mediterranean.

Athens fascinated Ginny as soon as they stepped out of the airport. The air was so clean and the wind was gentle and cooling. The buildings were beautiful, whitewashed with red-tiled roofs. There was a deep sense of history everywhere they looked and she couldn't wait to explore.

Their hotel was sumptuous – there was really no other word for it. Everywhere she looked Ginny was surrounded by white. White walls, white bed linens, pale furniture. It instantly made her feel cooler and clean.

"Do you want to rest for a bit?" Harry asked her as he put down their bags, but she shook her head.

"How about a walk?" she replied.

"Yeah, perfect," Harry said. "Let's go get some fresh air. Bring the camera," he said and winked at her. Ginny laughed.

"Got it," she said and she took his picture, grinning.

Their hotel was centrally located, and they walked for hours that day. They were close to the Parthenon and the Acropolis, and they took hundreds of pictures of everything. They climbed and walked all day long, fascinated by the architecture and history of the city.

They found a little restaurant on a tiny side street and had their first taste of ouzo – which burned their throats, but they loved its bite. Ginny fell in love with the food – the briny olives, thick greek yogurt, amazing fruits and vegetables – everything so fresh and flavorful.

"I love it here, Harry," she said. "I thought the UK was rich in history, but this place beats it, huh?"

"I know what you mean, it's amazing here isn't it?" he replied. He took the camera and snapped her picture. She was beautiful – her hair was shining in the sunlight and she had a contented smile on her lips.

He fed her the last olive and they shared the rest of the garlic flatbread and then headed back to their hotel, completely spent from walking in the heat.

The following day, Harry had hired a car to take them on a private tour of the coast. They drove for hours from Athens through tiny port towns along the coast. They walked through the Temple of Poseidon and Piraeus Port. They stopped often to take pictures and walk around through the towns, shopping and buying funny little treasures from everywhere they went. The scenery was spectacular, and the views they had of the water were breathtaking. Ginny had never seen water that color, almost fluorescent in certain places.

The highlight of her day was when they stopped at a tiny shore town, she didn't even remember the name of it, but she was finally able to walk along the edge of that beautiful blue/green water. She and Harry took their shoes off and walked through the warm water, hand in hand, talking and occasionally stopping to hold each other or kiss.

The ride back to their hotel was peaceful. The driver took his time and Ginny rested her head against Harry's shoulder, looking out the window as he looked at her.

The next day, Harry and Ginny found a small café and had breakfast, and once again they walked around near their hotel. It wasn't as hot today, and they enjoyed touring the small shops and market places of Athens.

They took a taxi down to the water, and once again walked for miles looking out at that brilliant blue water. They sat for a while when they came upon a beach and watched the children running in and out of the warm water – screaming as the big waves came crashing around them and they ran into their mother's arms, laughing all the while.

Ginny watched them closely, momentarily lost in her thoughts. Harry put his arm around her waist and pulled her close, her head resting on his shoulder, her hand in his. He said nothing, he just held her, and she was grateful. She took comfort in the fact that he knew her thoughts, and was thinking about pea, too. He handed her a tissue from his pocket and she wiped the lone tear that slid from her eye.

She took a deep breath. "It still hurts sometimes," she said simply.

"I know, love," he replied. "For me, too."

She nodded and got up, pulling Harry to his feet. "Let's go."

They ate a late lunch at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the ocean and ate a huge meal of eight different kinds of seafood and a light white wine to go with it. They walked slowly back to their hotel, stopping now and then to peek into a shop or to take pictures of the local people and beautiful buildings.

They changed and went down to the pool, lying in two lounge chairs next to each other, their fingers lightly linked between them The pool only had four other people there, and after ten minutes, they got up and left Harry and Ginny quite alone. Harry couldn't tear his eyes away from Ginny. She was wearing a tiny, black bikini that left little to the imagination. She laughed whenever she caught him staring at the tattoo that was peeking out from the tiny bikini bottom that she had on.

"I'm glad that you're not upset about the tattoo. I didn't know how you were going to react."

"Are you mad? It's amazing that you got that. Do you know how much I love it? The fact that you actually love me enough to get my name tattooed permanently on your body? It's unfathomable to me," Harry said.

"Seriously? You don't see how easy you are to love?" she asked.

He scoffed at her and shook his head, scratching the back of his neck unconsciously like he did whenever something made him nervous or uneasy.

"I could show you…" she said and she smiled at him. She got up from her chair and came around slowly to his. He laughed as she climbed onto his chair with him and straddled his hips, bending low so that she could kiss him. He wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her close, his body's reaction to her quite evident in the board shorts he was wearing. She chuckled when she felt him, and pulled his earlobe into her mouth, licking it soundly. He grazed his hands across her ass, dipping his left hand into her bikini bottoms, cupping her soft flesh.

"Had enough of the pool yet?" she asked.

"Definitely, but I think I need a moment to calm down," he replied, grinning at her. She laughed, too, and got off of his chair, swinging her leg off of his hips. She gathered their things as Harry calmed down, and they made their way back to their room for the night.

**Xxx**

The next day, they boarded a ferry that took them from Athens to the extraordinary island of Santorini where Harry had planned a week of nothing but relaxation. He and Ginny were staying in a bed and breakfast there right on the beach. He knew that Ginny would love being by the water, and he wasn't disappointed with her reaction.

"It's perfect, Harry," she sighed.

"I'm glad. And we have nothing planned, so we get to just relax here."

"Perfect," she repeated as she put her bag on the floor near the huge white bed in the middle of their bedroom. Their room was big and had French doors off of the sitting area that fed right onto the beautiful, wide beach.

She flung the doors open and a cooling breeze slid across her skin. She kicked her sandals off and walked onto the beach, enjoying the feel of the cool wind on her cheeks and the hot sand beneath her feet. She walked right to the water and splashed her feet around in the warm sea. She didn't realize that she had a huge grin on her face until Harry wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled into her neck.

She leaned back into him and sighed contentedly. "I might never want to leave here, Harry."

"Mmm…" he murmured into her ear and kissed her. "And it's so private, I feel like we're the only people here."

She looked around then at the area behind them, "Well, it looks like we are, on this stretch of beach, anyway," she said.

He looked, too. "You're right. This is going to be interesting," he said as he leered at Ginny. She raised her eyebrow at him, immediately in sync with his thoughts, and looked back at the sparkling water.

"Hmm…" she said. "Incredibly interesting, yeah. Let's get the sightseeing over with tomorrow and then let's never leave here for the rest of the week."

"Sounds good to me," Harry agreed and he took her hand and led her back into their room. He left the doors open so that they could listen to the waves and feel the cool breeze as he loved her.

They spent the following day in Fira, the largest city on Santorini. Again, Ginny couldn't take in all of the beauty that she saw. Every sight was more spectacular then the last. The blue-tiled roofs on the white-washed buildings here were a perfect compliment to the deep blue of the ocean that could be seen from every vantage point.

Harry and Ginny loved walking through the narrow-staired streets of the city. Ginny took photo after photo, not wanting to miss a single stunning image. They stopped often and walked into every interesting shop that they saw.

They bought two beautiful oil paintings from an elderly artist that had his easel set up in the square. They spoke with him for about an hour and he told them some of the history of the island and the best place in the city to go for lunch. He took a picture of Harry and Ginny overlooking the sea - she loved it as they had so few pictures of the two of them together. Ginny hugged him as she and Harry got up to leave with their paintings in hand.

They returned to their room late in the afternoon and saw the most stunning sunset. They sat on their patio, drinking wine and watching the sun's vibrant reflection on the rippling water, their fingers linked between them.

"I've never seen anything more beautiful," Ginny sighed.

"Neither have I," Harry said, but he was looking at his wife, not the water. She looked over at him and smiled gently.

It grew darker and darker as they sat talking and drinking and nibbling on the fresh fruit that had been left in their room by the staff. Their fingers being laced together was no longer enough contact for Harry, though. He stood and gently pulled Ginny to her feet and enclosed her in his arms.

"Gin," he said gently, almost reverently. Harry kissed her gently, and then moved to her neck, licking and sucking there, marking her skin and sending goose bumps down her flesh. She tossed her hair aside and closed her eyes, granting him more access to her skin. He lifted her shirt slowly over her head and she stepped out of her shorts as he pushed them to the ground. She did the same to his clothes and he took her hand and led them into the warm water.

When they were waist deep, Harry turned to Ginny and folded her into his arms. He pulled her legs up around his waist and bent his knees so that they were both submerged and buoyant and the water lapped gently against their skin. She threaded her fingers through his dark hair and he held her and trailed his fingers up and down her back. She shivered, but it wasn't because she was cold. He grinned into her shoulder and kissed her there.

Ginny leaned her head back to soak her hair and Harry leaned forward and kissed her breast, eliciting a deep moan from Ginny. She lay back in Harry's arms, sitting on his lap, and floated on top of the water. Harry let his lips wander everywhere. His erection grew quite prominent beneath Ginny's ass, and she grinned at the feel of him against her. She rocked her hips gently against him and he grunted against her skin.

The water flowing through her hair, Harry's lips on her, his dick poking against her bottom, the warm water gently lapping at her skin – all of these sensations coursed through Ginny and she shuddered violently – her muscles contracting, her core pulsing with her orgasm. She pulled herself up into Harry's arms and held him tightly as sucked at her shoulder.

"My God, Harry, how can you do that to me just by kissing me, touching me?" she asked softly in his ear.

He grinned but didn't respond. He was too focused on his body's reaction to her and he drew her to him and entered her warm, wet core. They both sighed and he held her hips as she lay back in the water once again. Harry had never seen anything as beautiful as Ginny in the moonlight. Her hair was weaving through the sparkling water, her breasts appearing and disappearing below the water's diamond surface - Harry felt like he could stay right here for the rest of his life and it would be perfection. He needed nothing more then what was in his arms at this moment.

He continued to thrust into her, pulling her to him and pushing her away, until he felt his own contractions begin in the pit of his stomach. He pulled her back up to him, and the water from her hair flowed in rivers down his back as their bodies pulsed together as they kissed, breathing heavily into each other's mouths, staring in each other's eyes.

Harry kept repeating, "I love you… love you… love you…" as a spiritual chant as he kissed her shoulder and ear and neck, and she hummed with contentment.

"You're so beautiful when you let go, Harry. I wish you could see your face," Ginny whispered into his neck, nuzzling it with her face, running her hands across the rough stubble on his cheeks. He turned to her then and crashed his mouth down on hers.

"Gin, you make me so happy," he said softly. He picked her up, her legs still wrapped around his waist and he brought her back into their room.

They never left their private beach the next day. They spent it relaxing on the sand, reading, swimming and enjoying each other's company. On Ginny's 18th birthday, they packed up and left Santorini and arrived back in Athens, in preparation for their flight to Paris the following day.

Harry took her out for a special dinner at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the Acropolis. He had bought her a simple white gold necklace with a single diamond solitaire that sat in the hollow of Ginny's throat. It was the perfect match to the earrings that he had given to her for a wedding present. Ginny opened the slender box, and tears sprang to her eyes.

"Harry," she said and shook her head. "I'm…thank you."

"Happy birthday."

"Thank you," she said again and smiled at her husband. "I don't need any more gifts, Harry. I have you, that's all I'll ever need."

He smiled at her, too and nodded. "I know what you mean."

**Xxx**

Paris was a whirlwind trip. They stayed in a small, quaint hotel in the Montmartre district, near the infamous Moulin Rouge. They visited there twice, dancing and drinking into the night, having a great time. They took a taxi into Paris and went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. They walked the Champs Elysees, visited the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe. Harry surprised Ginny once again and they went to the Paris Opera House one evening and saw La Boheme – Harry in a black tuxedo and Ginny in a strapless black knee length dress. She was stunned by the performance and in complete awe.

Ginny fell in love with Paris, too. Every city that they visited had its own special charm and appeal, and she found herself gravitating to each and every place. After the light and fresh food of Greece, Ginny found the heavy French sauces and meats to be very filling but delicious. Harry, on the other hand, relished every meal. He loved trying different types of crepes and wines and every dessert seemed better then the last.

They spent a fantastic day at Disneyland Paris – they went on every ride at least once, and fell into bed exhausted that night from all of the walking they had done. They took hundreds of pictures.

"God, I think I gained fifteen pounds in the last four days!" Harry said as they sat in Orly airport and he patted his stomach.

"Well, having three desserts every night will do that to you – we should go back to Greece where we had fruit for dessert!" Ginny replied and Harry laughed at her.

**Xxx**

Barcelona proved to be warm and beautiful. Harry and Ginny met the friendliest people there, and they walked everywhere. The food was amazing, rich and delicious. It seemed like the city was lit with a permanent bronze glow. Everywhere they went, they were bathed in soft, golden light.

Ginny turned to Harry and hugged him, whispering in his ear, "I feel so sensuous here; do you know what I mean? This light, the glow of this City, I want to languish in bed all day and just bask in the glow! I feel like dancing the flamenco."

"Well, don't let me stop you, I'd love to see that," he replied, laughing with her.

She did a few steps in the street and pretended like she had castanets, and Harry whipped out the camera and took her picture as she laughed. She twirled around, her hair flying in waves around her. He caught her around the waist and twirled her around, gathering attention and applause from passersby as they laughed.

They went to the Barcelona Zoo and walked through the Picasso Museum, and spent the remainder of their time by the water. Their hotel overlooked the water and also a beautiful marina, where they spent a lot of time just sitting and watching the boats drift and sway.

**xxx**

On the 20th, they boarded the flight to Venice and landed mid-morning amidst beautiful sunshine. They took a water taxi from the airport to their hotel located directly on the Grand Canal. They were staying at the Hotel Monaco, and they were met as soon as the taxi stopped, their bags were taken and they were escorted into the hotel lobby.

"What do you want to do first?" Harry asked Ginny when they were settled into their room. It had a spectacular view of the Grand Canal and Ginny was mesmerized by it.

"Gelato!" she screamed and grabbed his hand, dragging him out the door. He laughed with her and followed, stopping at the first Gelateria that they found, which, fortunately was about fifty steps away from their hotel's entrance.

Ginny got three scoops, peach, pear and raspberry, while Harry asked for chocolate, vanilla and hazelnut. They were extraordinarily creamy and delicious.

"Oh, my God," Harry said as he licked his way down all three of his flavors.

"I know!" Ginny replied, handing her cone to Harry so he could try it. "We have to try every single flavor before we leave, agreed?"

"Yeah, I don't think that will be a difficult agreement to make. It's unbelievable." He let Ginny try his cone, too.

They strolled through St. Mark's Square after that, stopping in the multitude of shops there, trying not to get pummeled by the legions of pigeons, and walking through the gorgeous basilica. They walked through the narrow alleyways and found a small pizzeria to have a late lunch. They shared another gelato on their way back to their hotel and giggled the whole way like two five year olds with an ice cream cone.

Harry and Ginny took a gondola ride the next day, and the gondolier brought them under the Rialto Bridge and they kissed there, then under the Bridge of Sighs and they kissed again and laughed. The gondolier sang to them as they drifted slowly through the narrow passages of the beautiful city. Three hours later they were returned to their hotel, where they remained for the rest of the day.

The following day, they took a short boat ride to the island of Murano and watched a glass-blowing demonstration and then spent an enormous sum in the shops there. They bought hand blown wine glasses and a beautiful, small chandelier. Thankfully, the shop was able to ship it all home for them.

They took a couple of day trips to Milan and Bologna, but for the most part, they spent the final ten days of their honeymoon walking through the tiny streets of Venice, enjoying the sights and sounds, and relaxing, above all.

On the last morning of their trip, Harry woke when the first rays of sun filtered through the curtains of their room. He opened his eyes slowly to find that Ginny had plastered herself against him during the night. He smiled wide as he looked down at their entwined bodies – Ginny's leg thrown over his own, her arm and hand resting on his stomach, and her head on his chest. His arms held her close, never wanting to move from this spot. He traced Ginny's deep tan lines with his fingers – her skin had turned a beautiful caramel color with all of the sun they had gotten. She stirred a moment later and looked into Harry's deep emerald eyes, so full of love. She kissed him tenderly. They didn't see anything of Venice that day.

**Xxx**

They returned home on August 30th, and were met at Heathrow by Ron and Hermione and were driven home by Ron, who had just gotten his muggle license. They had to use an enlarging charm on the trunk, however, to fit the enormous amount of luggage and packages that they had brought home.

They talked excitedly the entire ride home about the sights they had seen, Hermione running through the pictures in their digital camera as they talked. She laughed out loud when she came across the picture of Harry with the fez on his head. The foursome had dinner together at Grimmauld Place that night, joined by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley – and Kreacher made a wonderful stew and biscuit dinner with chocolate cake for dessert.

"What was your favorite place?" Mrs. Weasley asked as they finished dessert.

Harry looked at Ginny. "Hmm…" she said, "I think it was Santorini," Ginny said. "It was so beautiful and peaceful, and the water was so warm and wonderful." She looked at Harry and smiled and he grinned back.

"I have to agree, Greece was spectacular," he said, "We definitely have to plan to go back there soon. That water…"

Ginny nodded and smiled. The Weasley's and Hermione took their leave shortly after dessert was finished. The newlyweds were tired from their day of traveling and they were ready to drop.

Ginny took Harry's hand and led him up the staircase to their bedroom. "It's so good to be home."

"I agree, Gin. I loved all the places we visited, but there's nothing like being home," Harry replied.

"Mmm…" she replied and shut their door. "So, how tired are you?"

"Not _that_ tired…" he replied and took her in his arms. "And, never too tired for you." He kissed her deeply and they fell together into their huge bed.

"Aah," Ginny said, lying back, "Thank God we have two more days before you start back to work."

"And we're spending both of them right here," Harry replied and they smiled, lost in each other once again.

The morning that he was to return to work, Harry woke early and stared at his beautiful wife, hating to get out of this warm bed and leave her here alone. He kissed her gently and got out of bed reluctantly. He went quietly downstairs and took out his quill and parchment, scribbled a few lines for her and went about his morning routine.

He leaned over Ginny one last time and kissed her gently again before he left for the Ministry. He folded the note and left it on his pillow for her to find.

Forty minutes later, Ginny stretched and reached out for Harry and was momentarily confused when she found nothing but cold sheets. She frowned and squinted her eyes open. She saw Harry's note and smiled, bringing it over from his pillow, but missing his warm body. He had tucked a small wildflower into the crease of his note and she brought it to her nose and inhaled deeply before opening his letter.

_**Gin:**_

_**How am I going to leave you here, sleeping, looking so beautiful? I am going to be absolutely worthless today – I am going to be thinking about you constantly, and about the past month.**_

_**It was perfect – being able to spend an entire month alone with you – loving you. **_

_**Thank you for everything, Gin, for loving me, for marrying me, for making so damn happy. **_

_**It almost feels like the past never happened. The horcrux hunt, Voldemort, all a distant memory to me now - all because of you. You have filled my mind so completely with nothing but insane joy.**_

_**I never even dreamed of feeling this way ever, Gin, but you showed me how amazing life can be. I will spend every day of the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way.**_

_**I love you and I can't wait to see you tonight, my love.**_

_**Always,**_

_**Harry**_

She grinned as she folded the note again and held it to her chest. She hoped these notes continued as time went on. She loved knowing that when he was scribbling notes to her that she was the only thing on his mind.

She smiled and got up from bed, heading to the shower, already planning a visit to the Ministry today to surprise Harry for lunch. Her body warmed at the thought and she smiled again, unable to imagine a whole day passing without seeing or talking to Harry.

She had no idea how they were going to manage when she started her internship tomorrow – but she knew that they would get through it together.

It would always be Harry and Ginny. Always.

_**Fin**_


End file.
